Next Gen: The Rising Shadow
by UnknownUnseenUnheard
Summary: Hogwarts. I've wanted to come here for so long. But somethings happening. I don't know what, I can't guess what. There's a new Professor that my Uncle refuses to trust. There's a corridor were not allowed to walk into. A gamble that could destroy us all..
1. Prologue

****A/N; this is the first chapter to the reboot of my previous story, Next Gen Begins. Its short, but that's because its only the Prologue. It starts out very differently than my other fic, as you will see shortly.

Mopsus was an early character Rowling designed, before scrapping the idea of him, and instead replacing him with Treleway. He was originally meant to be the Divination Professor, but, as he was too good at what he did, Rowling tossed aside the idea. I have no idea what his personality was originally like, so I constructed my own. Unlike her version of the character, this one is not blind nor is he as powerful a Seer, however.

As for Olethea, she is an OC and will be critical to the plot for this story, and possibly the next three, but, as can be seen from this chapter alone, she acts from the shadows so you wont be seeing much of her.

Anyways, on with the story.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

**Prologue**

A lone figure walked a shrouded walk, a shawl draped inconspicuously over her head, eyes locked onto the stone below her as her feet met with the ground once, twice, over and over.****  
><strong>**

Others bushed past her, walked by her, oblivious to her presence, to the power radiating from her. Around her, Diagon Alley was alive with life, beating with it. She could feel it, feel the excess magic that seeped from the witches and wizards around her like a soft touch to her flesh, because this was no ordinary women, not at all.

She did not need to look back, she did not seem to need to look at all, as she made her way forward, as her steps increased in speed, as she made her way forth.

The door was open when she reached it.

She didn't even bother to knock before swinging it open, and stepping through. She let the shawl drop back onto her shoulders, her ancient, unseeing eyes unveiling themselves.

This was no ordinary witch.

She made her way forth without a word, opening the last door without discretion and stepping forth into the small room. Housed within was a small table, at which sat two others, two wizards. They had been engaged in conversation with each other, but fell silent at the presence of the new comer.

"Well?" the woman spoke as she took seat. "The news?"

"Surely you already know, oh Great Seer?" one of the Wizards replied.

"Olethea is the world's most powerful Seer. You shall respect her." The other man snapped at him, bright light green eyes sparkling dangerously.

"Mopsus." Olethea spoke in a warning voice.

The other Seer relaxed slightly in his chair, before Olethea turned to face the wizard. "The future is a thing of constant motion. I am, by no means, omniscient. Now, the news?" she repeated herself once more.

The man sighed, leaning forward slightly.

"I believe it has begun. All the signs point to the same source, the same. There was another assassination last night, this time in Hungary. The deaths are mounting, and we can't ignore it."

The other pair exchanged a heated look, which seemed odd since the woman could not even see.

Not physically, anyways.

Then, the woman turned back to face the wizard. "Our enemy sleeps.. It slumbers, ancient and evil.. I fear.. I fear we shall not survive this struggle.."

Mopsus bit his lip.

The other, however, stared at her. "And what, pray tell, is this 'ancient slumbering evil'?" he demanded.

"A thing of old." Was the cryptic reply.

The response was predictable.

The man stood, red faced. "You both come here, and ask for my help, my aid, yet you refuse to give me straight answer! You tell me to watch out for signs of change in the Wizarding World, but you refuse to give me a why, yet you expect me to trust the both of you!"

Mopsus stood as well, his face lined with obvious fury. "You will not yell at-" he began.

"Mopsus." Olethea repeated, the rumor of a threat veiled under the lone word. He sent the other man one last dirty look, before taking set once more.

"Well?" the wizard demanded.

"The situation before us is grave.. I hope I am wrong, but.. If things are as I fear.. Loxias, Emric the Evil, Merwyn the Malicious, Grindelwald, Voldemort.. All unknowing pawns in an ancient plot centuries old, pawns that each failed to accomplish their set goals, and these are but the pawns here, in Europe. There are more, others, scattered across the globe-"

"And your seriously suggesting they have all been pawns, are you know?" the wizard sneered, finally showing the mistrust he had been feeling since the very beginning. He wanted answers, and he wanted them now.

"Yet the details behind the fall of each, a mystery. Even the details behind the 'Fall of Salazar Slytherin' remain hidden within the shadows. Doesn't that bother you, that the darkest wizards the world has ever known, every single one, and not one concrete reason is given behind their perspective falls?" Olethea countered.

"Grindelwald and Voldemort were insane, the both of them. The rest, I'm sure, fir in the same category." the wizard countered, but even his own argument sounded doubtful to him. Olethea had a knack of that, convincing him of the most impossible and improbable theories with the flick of a finger.

"Very well. Let us pretend the two were both simply mad men, let us pretend they were both simply insane, as you say. Yet what of Slytherin? Was he insane, insane enough to be trusted by three of the most influencial individuals in our histories? Yet he simply 'fell'. Perfectly logical."

The wizard squirmed in his seat slightly. Apparently, the woman not only had a knack of convincing him of the improbable, but making him feel down right dim-witted for thinking anything otherwise.

"Why me?" he finally spoke.

This, Olethea did not expect as her eyebrow raised slightly in the air. "What?"

"Of all the witches and wizards in the world to choose to help you, why me?" the man repeated.

Again, the other pair exchanged looks. The wizard was becoming annoyed by this, very, very annoyed.

"Well?" he demanded once more.

Olethea turned back to face him. "I have foreseen it.. It must be by your and that the hand of histories' weave be written. Not our own. We are those who must remain in the shadows, as we always have. But it is by your hand, the hand of the wizard, that events be changed."

"But why me? Why not another, why me, one who would doubt your, ah, 'divine wisdom'?"

To this, Olethea snorted. "Divine?" she repeated, amused. The wizard blinked. "I see the future, but it does not see me. It is in constant motion, shifted by the choices people have made and have yet to make. Nothing is set in stone. I don't as much see the future as I see possible scenarios, constantly shifting. It is a gift that would drive most insane, and I swear to you, there is nothing divine of it."

And, just like that, she had managed to drive the conversation away from the dangerous category of doubts and suspicion.

"So.. What is it you would ask me to do, then?"

"To be our eyes and ears at Hogwarts, to listen to that which we cannot. The world is shifting around us, and worse, a darkness clouds our visions. We cannot see. Whatever comes, it is greater than any threat our world has ever faced." Mopsus replied.

"Yet you choose me to come to your aid, instead of someone like Potter.." the man replied, suspicion sipping back into place. He had been trained to do so, to see enemies within every shadow, deception within every truth.

In other words, he was the perfect spy.

"Potter is to obvious, his moves are traced, reporters swooping in on his smallest movements like a vulture on prey. But you, on the other hand.." Olethea spoke.

"I see.. So, you wish me to keep monitoring the international state of affairs?" the wizard questioned.

"Yes." Mopsus said.

"Very well. If you'll excuse me, I have t go prepare. The students come in but a weeks time." and with this, the man stood, his figure departing.

There was the creaking sound of the door opening, then th distinct snap of it being closed. The remaining two turned to each other.

"Well? What make you of him?" Olethea asked.

"His mind is.. Difficult to read. And I fear my sight is dying. I cannot see. His intentions are lost to me. He is like a blank spot in the tapestry of life. But, why?" Mopsus asked.

"I do not know. But it is not by his hand that this shall be ended, f that I am sure.."

"Then by who's?"

"That has yet to be seen.. But, for now, our own pawn do we have. In the end, I fear all our preparations will be for naught, and if we fail.."

"Then?"

"I don't know. And that's what scares me."

With that, the woman turned, her unseeing eyes staring off into the distance, a look more blank than the norm making its way onto her futures.

A trance.

Mopsus knew better than to speak to her now, he would be no doubt ignored. With a sigh, he stood, drew his hood over his head, and marched straight out the door into the blusterous and oblivious streets and corners of Diagon Alley.


	2. Acacia

A/N; I added a scene before Albus actually goes to Hogwarts, unlike in the last fic. While this chapter is longer, they don't even make it onto the train. Also, this is no longer a first person narrative, but a third person limited, from Albus' POV. There will be few exceptions(example, the last chapter) but it will generally be written in that format from this moment forward.

Anyways, thanks for the reviews, and(this shall likely be the last time I say this, as the day ends in less than half an hour) Merry Christmas people!

On with the story.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

**Acacia**

"Wake up, you daft ninny!"

"Five more minutes!"

Albus thought he heard a sigh in response, but was far too sleepy to even care. He rolled over once more on his bed, his hair like the messy twigs of a bird's nest.

"Well.. If you insist.."

A sharp suspicion grew in the back of his mind, and he had the distinct feeling his brother, being the classical prankster, was about to pull yet another annoying stunt. Lifting his head, he had perhaps half a second to register the glinting reflection of light of glass before a freezing cold washed over him.

"Bloody Hell!" Albus sat up straight, his nightshirt soaked, eyes wide as it clung to his skin.

"What was that?" his mother's voice came from the kitchen in a dangerous tone.

James laughed loudly, grinning. "Someones in trouble." he teased.

"Git!" Albus accused, picking up his pillow and tossing it.

James laughed as he dodged it expertly, before running out of the room, Albus chasing straight after him, and, like the idiot he was, ignoring the very obvious fact that he had somehow managed to forget his glasses in the process.

"Can't catch me!" James cried gleefully.

They rushed through the kitchen, where their mother was preoccupied making breakfast. She turned as they ran in, one after the other.

"Boys-" she called angrily, before James came running straight back in, Albus right behind him.

"Get back here, prat!" Abus called, and, in the process of chasing after his older brother, ended up knocking his mother to the floor. But, that wasn't the worst part. The worst was that he failed to notice.

James rushed into the living room, a gleeful expression on his face before he suddenly felt a pull at his midsection as Albus managed to tackle him.

"Get off!" he cried.

"You little-"

"BOYS!" their mother thundered from the kitchen in a voice that could wake the dead, making the pair jump in a start. "BOTH OF YOU, BACK HERE, NOW OR I SWEAR I WILL JINX THE BOTH OF YOU! "

"Your fault." Albus hissed as the two boys stood, brushing dust of themselves.

James just grinned at him, and his smile widened when he noticed how even the dust was clinging to Albus' soggy shirt.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR! BACK HERE, NOW!"

Again, they jumped, before rushing straight back into the kitchen and cowering in sight at the figure before him.

Standing at her full height, Ginny Potter practically towered over them, despite the fact that James was already her height and Albus wasn't to far behind. The lines of her face were creased with fury, her hands on her hips, and, worst of all, a wooden spoon brandished in one hand.

The two gulped.

"His fault!" the both pointed the accusatory finger at one another.

The eyes of their mother narrowed into bright brown slits as she simply glared at them.

"I don't care which one of you started it, and I don't want to hear it." she snapped as they opened their mouths to speak, effectively silencing them. "James, leave your brother alone. Albus, get upstairs and change. We're going to Diagon Alley to pick out your things today, remember?"

Albus gasped. How could he have forgotten? All that time waiting, all those moments sitting their, filled with jealousy at James' tales of his first year at Hogwarts and actually being able to use a wand and perform magic, and he'd forgotten.

"Okay mum!" he replied, rushing past her.

"No running in the house, Al!" his mother called.

Annoyed, Albus slowed himself to a walk, wanting nothing more than to get it over with so he could get his wand. James had practically shoved his own wand in Albus' face when he had first gotten it the year before, and it was the only thing Albus was really, really looking forward to.

Albus got dressed as quickly as he could, simply tossing on whatever he could find, before searching madly for his glasses. The fact that he could barely see without them was bothersome. He could manage without them, but preferred not to. Really, who wants to walk around with the world in front of them one big fuzzy mess?

He didn't even bother trying to comb his hair. The last time he tried that, the comb broke in half and Lily yelled herself hoarse at him since it was the last comb in the house. Of course, he could have used magic to fix it, but that wasn't allowed, now, was it?

Stupid rules.

Instead, he tossed a minimal amount of water onto his head before trying(and failing) to make himself at least appear presentable before making his way down again. By the time he got there, food was already presented oh so gracefully on the table, and his Weasley genes screamed in delight as he sat down, picked up fork, and-

"I heard the two of you were causing quiet the storm for you mother."

"Dad!" Albus jumped up, tossing the fork aside without a care in the world, running forth and wrapping his arms around the taller figures waist.

He supposed that, in comparison, he must look downright puny. But, of course, he didn't care.

There was another yelp, and soon, James had joined in. Albus felt like hitting him when James decided it might be a good idea to jab him in the chest.

James Potter, the classical annoying older brother. And, Albus had heard, a thing the teachers at Hogwarts had dreaded for years for some unknown reason since the day he was born. Albus silently wondered why this was, but then thought,rumors were rumors. Still, it was hard not to wonder..

"Hi, boys." was the reply as their dad picked the two boys up. "Woah. Getting heavy." he chuckled at them, grinning his old smile.

"You came." Albus beamed.

"I promised, now, didn't I?" dad said, ruffling his hair a little before putting the two down and making his way to mum.

"I've missed you.." Albus heard him mutter before the two kissed softly.

"Ugh.."

All eyes turned, and, as usual, Lily stood there and pretended to gag at the show of emotion. Mum narrowed her eyes slightly but dad snorted.

"Remember when you used to do that?"

Albus blinked, sure he'd misheard it, before noticing the slight blush crawling up his mother's face.

"Not a word." she commanded.

"Wouldn't dream of it." dad laughed, before kissing her softly again.

This time, all three of them pretended to gag, just or affect.

"Alright, all you, sit down." there was amusement in mum's voice even as she ordered them to sit.

It was a relatively peaceful meal, with chatter hear in there, them asking dad how his latest Auror mission had been like, all that good stuff before the moment was utterly ruined.

It came in the form of a red headed girl.

"Everyone ready to floo to the Leaky Couldron?" mum asked as she magicked the plates into the sink, washing them with ease.

"Leaky Couldron?" Lily repeated, not yet catching on. Yet, anyways.

Albus noticing his brother distinctly trying to hide a smirk. So, of course, he narrowed his eyes.

"Your brother needs to get his things for Hogwarts, remember, Lils?" James said, the smirk hidden just beneath the surface.

Then it started.

The wail that Albus was sure would put a Banshee to shame. It would be years later that this little theory of his would be proven wrong, but for now, the expression fir the situation.

"I want to- I want- I want to go!" she cried loudly.

"Lily-" their dad tried to reason with her.

"No! Its- its so unfair! They get to go now, and I've been waiting- been waiting since Teddy went! And now, they both get to go and I have to wait two more years!"

James was suddenly overcome by a coughing fit.

"I- Ginny?" their dad turned and shot her a pleading look.

"Who would think, the 'Great Harry Potter', asking for help." she said playfully, striding across the room and coming down to kneel before her only daughter, who had tear tracks lined on her face.

"Lily." mum said.

"I want to- I want to go! Its so unfair, they get to go!" she sobbed.

Personally, Albus knew that if he ever repeated this incident to anyone in particular, he might end up hit unexpectedly by some random jinx Lily managed to learn out of James' spellbooks that summer when the later wasn't looking, so he decided not speaking at the moment might be a good idea.

"Remember all your uncles?" mum said. Lily just nodded. "Well, I had to wait for each one of them to go to school first before they finally let me in. Bill and Charlie were already out of Hogwarts by the time they let me in, inf act!" she exclaimed.

Lily gasped. "That's-" she gave a hiccup. "That's horrible!"

"Yes, torture." mum agreed. Dad chuckled softly, causing mum to turn around and shoot him a glare. He began to whistle innocently, at which mum rolled her eyes, before turning around and ignoring him. "But it was still worth it when I finally went, even more so because of it. And it will be for you, too. Now, go get ready."

"O- okay." Lily managed, before sitting up. She managed to make it to the door before stopping, turning around, running to mum and giving her a kiss on the cheek before running off again.

And with that, we were off.

We flooed straight into the Leaky Cauldron, where Aunt Hannah greeted us and our cousin, Justin Longbottom, came bounding down the stairs.

He and James began an avid conversation, and Albus was sure the two of them were plotting pranks for the new year.

Justin wasn't really their cousin, but, since Nevile was practically family, they called him Uncle and called Hannah 'Aunt', so, of course, Justin was like their cousin.

"Hurry up! I want to get my wand!" Albus said impatiently.

All the adults chuckled before they made their way out.. Straight into several reporters. Cameras flashed, James made his way up to the front and grinned a winning smile at them, and Aunt Hannah had to storm out an threaten to press charges before the press finally dispersed.

"Merlin, that's annoying.." dad grumbled.

"Your famous." was mum's reply.

"Yeah, well, never asked for it..."

"What's wrong with fame?" James asked loudly.

"Big headed prat." Lily said innocently.

Albus snorted loudly, causing James to turn around and eye them suspiciously. Luckily, however, the 'big headed prat' didn't say anything as they continued to walk.

Albus had half-hoped Rose would show up, but there was no sign of them. Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione had apparently already taken her to get her things already.

Albus could gave one when they did, but had decided he wanted dad to come along, so he waited. He'd still had a small hope they would show up anyways, though, and was a little saddened that they hadn't. Knowing Uncle Ron, he was probably still sleeping, which would account for their absence.

"Where to first, Al? This is your day." dad turned to look at his miniature carbon copy in the eye.

"Wand!" Albus exclaimed gleefully. Lily shot him a jealous look.

"Yeah, let's see what wand in the world would possibly choose you." James teased.

"Shut it!" Albus swung at his big brother, missing, and instead hitting the stone wall behind him. "Ouch!" he hissed as James laughed loudly.

"I'll pick up the books, we meet at Madam Malkins?" mum proposed.

"Sure, I'll take him to get his wand. Come on, Al!" dad called.

Apparently, they had decided separating to two siblings would be best.

"Okay. Come on James, Lily!" mum called.

"What!" James said loudly, glaring at her. "But he got to see me get my wand!" he pointed an accusatory finger at Albus.

"James, listen to your mother."

"But-"

"James."

"Fine.." the other grumbled.

"Lets go. And not a word out of you, young man." mum said, dragging James away, Lily trailing behind them.

Albus let out a sigh of relief he hadn't known he was holding in. James wouldn't be there to torture him with his constant teasing, which, as far as he was concerned, was fine in his book.

"Come on, let's get your wand." dad grinned at him.

Albus smiled nervously and could only manage a slight nod. As they walked, eyes turned to stare, making both of them uncomfortably. It seemed that out of the entire family, only James enjoyed the attention. Lily didn't mind it, but didn't particularly like it either.

"How do you put up with this?" Albus muttered to his father.

"Years of practice." came the muffled reply.

"What was that?"

Even the slightest hint of a whisper, and some random witch or wizard had to tune in on it every time dad spoke.

Today, it came in the form of an older wizard, with a thick beard and shabby robes.

"Nothing." dad replied, then tugged Albus' arm and walked a bit faster.

In silence, they entered Olivanders, and Albus could barely contain his excitement at finally being in the wand shop, the tingling of the magic in the air, the thousands of boxes on the walls, and-

No Ollivander.

"Mr. Ollivander?" dad called.

The two of them walked deeper into the small shop, looking around curiously.

"Ah. I was wondering when you would arrive."

Albus jumped in the air as the voice came from behind them, and dad's Auror skills kicked in as he drew his wand, wheeled around, and nearly cursed the old bag of bones that was Garrick Olivander, still selling and making wands at the age of 173, or so Albus had heard James say once, but he wasn't sure if he should believe him. He couldn't be that old, right?

Mr. Ollivander himself jumped at the sight of dad's wand.

"Sorry.." dad let it slip back into his robes. "Don't sneak up on me."

"My apologize." the ancient replied, before turning his eyes onto Albus. "Ah, you look exactly like your father, my boy."

Mr. Ollivander then strode past Albus, taking a tape measure from behind his desk.

"Wand arm?"

"Erm, right." he replied.

The ancient face nodded, the tape suddenly moving on its own accords, measuring every inch of Albus' 11 year old body.

"Let's see... Maple. Eight inches, dragon heartstring." Ollivander muttered almost to himself, handing the wand over, before snapping it back. "Tsk, tsk.. no.."

Then another wand, and another, and another...

"Like your father, eh?" Ollivander grinned a toothless smile at Albus that made him shudder slightly.

He counted the woods of in his head, Apple, Cypress, Cedar, even a rare Silver Lime one, but none of them seemed to work.

"I wonder..." Ollivander muttered, before pulling out one last wand.

He said nothing this time as he handed it to Albus, who waved it. A cascade of golden and silver sparks emitted from the tip, dropping all around them.

"Wonderful!" Ollivander exclaimed, but there was an edge to the voice. Albus looked at him curiously, but waved it off, assuming he'd just imagined it.

Besides, he now had a wand of his own, what else mattered?

"Acacia, twelve inches, phoenix feather." Ollivander finally spoke.

"Thanks!" Albus exclaimed, quiet oblivious to the looks his father and Ollivander were exchanging.

With that, the pair left the shop and went to go find the others, but, as they walked out the door, Albus felt the peculiar feeling that he was being watched. Turning around, he saw a tall man with dark skin eyeing him with curious and narrowed golden orbs, his face nearly completely hidden beneath a hood before the figure turned around and marched away.

"Your mums waiting. Let's go." dad said, dragging Albus off.

They met up at Madam Malkin's, got their robes, went around Diagon Alley and finished the rest of their shopping, but no matter what, Albus couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that he had missed something critical..


	3. Three Days Time

A/N; Next chapter! The next one will be when they finally get on the train, so I'll be taking dialog directly from the book for that chapter.

Thanks to the people who have reviewed this story so far.

Anyways, on with the story.

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

**Three Days Time**

"I get a broom and you don't, I get a broom and you don't!"****  
><strong>**

"Get out, prat!"

"I get a broom, I get a broom!"

"Shut it, or I'll tell Lily what happened to her Holyhead Harpies poster!"

"You wouldn't dare!"

"What was that?" a dangerous voice said from the doorway.

Albus and James exchanged a look, before turning to what would likely be their deaths. Before them stood Lily Luna Potter, her hands on her hips in a mum-like fashion, sparks flying out of her eyes.

"You did what?" she demanded.

"He did it!" James accused, pointing a finger at Albus.

Lily advanced.

"What! No I didn't, he did!" Albus pointed his own finger at James.

"Don't listen to him! The git lies!" James said dramatically.

"Hark who's talking!" Albus countered.

"Yeah? Well, your just jealous." James said smugly.

"Jealous? Jealous? Why would I be jealous?"

"Because, I get a broom and you don't, I get a broom and you don't!"

"Prat!"

The two bickering brothers failed to notice, even as they shouted at one another, as Lily approached them, only noticing her presence when she took both of their heads and smacked them together.

"Owe!" they both cried.

"Merlin, do you two ever stop arguing?"

"Of course not,"

"We're related,"

"Its practically written in stone that we have to annoy one another."

Lily rolled her eyes. Then she narrowed them once more, causing both boys to gulp. "What were you saying about my Holyhead Harpies poster?

"Um.."

"We kinda of..."

"Well, Al-"

"Stuff it, it wasn't me!"

"Shut it, I'm trying to get out of this alive!"

"What about me?"

"Sacrifices must be made."

"GIT!"

And with that, Albus tackled his brother to the ground, the two of them ignoring Lily as she shouted at the two of them, rolling around on the ground and trying to get a good punch to the face.

"BOYS!"

They both jumped to their feat, then glanced at the door.

There she stood, Ginny Potter herself, eyes glinting dangerously and a wooden spoon in hand.

Uh oh..

The spoon.

She advanced on them, brandishing her weapon of utmost evil, causing both boys to back away.

"I'm taking you two to the train station in three days, and so help me if you cannot behave yourselves for that minuscule amount of time, I shall ground the both of you for a month!"

"But-"

"Mum-"

"He-"

"I DON"T CARE!" she thundered, making them both jump again, before she glared them into silence. In the back ground, Lily was smirking at the two of them, as she usually did when mum yelled at anyone who wasn't her.

"I don't care who started it, I don't care who's fault it is! You're family! Start acting like it." mum said.

The words were like a whip. Both boys winced. She shot them one last look, before turning and walking out the door.

Then Lily turned and smirked at the two of them. "Someone got yelled at and I didn't, someone got yelled at and I-"

"Shut up." both Potter males snapped at her.

Lily gaped at them, glared, then turned and made her way out of the room, her nose stuck up in the air.

"You too, git. Out of my room." Albus said.

"No need to be so rude." James smirked.

"James..."

"Yes?"

"Out."

"James out? But James likes it in here."

To this, Albus groaned loudly, before turning around, jumping onto his bed, burying his head into his pillow and giving a silent scream.

James gave another laugh, before(finally, Albus thought) turning and walking out the door, closing it in the process in mock curtsy.

Albus then rolled over onto his back and simply lay there, staring up at the ceiling. He felt nervous, really nervous. He was going yo Hogwarts, finally going.

And the only source of information on the place he had came directly from James, who was less than trust-able. His parents, in their infinite evil, decided they wouldn't tell him a thing. Apparently, this was in the hopes of getting Albus and James to get along, as if that would ever happen.

Albus hated it. He hated that the only source on Hogwarts was his brother, whom he, at times, silently wondered if he might be, by some chance, actually Uncle George's long lost son. Its not like dad or mum were pranksters, right?..

Hm..

One has to wonder.

Albus sat up, pulled one of his new books out, and did something that would make Aunt Hermione proud and Uncle Ron stare. He began to read, flipping through the pages, one after the other. It was interesting, reading about the ancient Roman Civil War, which was started after Cassius the Chaotic impiruised several members of the senate to assassinate Julius Caesar.

With a sigh, Albus closed the book. No matter how interesting he found the story, he still couldn't get his mind off of what was about to happen.

His mum had said it..

Three days time.

In three days, he would be getting on that train and departing. In three days, he would be going to Hogwarts. In three days, Lily would likely be screaming her head off at how 'unfair' it all was. Yup. Three days time.

Very nerve-wrecking.

Besides, how was he suppose to live up to dad? Dad was famous! Why, Albus wasn't quiet sure, but he knew dad was famous. Why else would press members stalk at their front door until mum demanded they put up a Fidelus to keep them out? Or had she said put it back up? Albus couldn't remember, but he didn't even think taking down a Fidelus was even possible. Then again, in the wizarding world, you never know.

Albus rolled over again.

What if everybody hated him? What if they didn't like him? What if he couldn't perform the simplest of spells? Or, even worse, what would happen if they expected him to be an attention seeking prat like James. Albus shuddered at the very thought.

There was a knock at the door. Albus sat up and stared at it. "Hello?"

"You idiot." came the reply.

Grinning, Albus jumped up out of bed and swung the door open, revealing the form of his favorite cousin, Rose, who rolled her eyes at him.

"Your hair is a mess." she chastised him.

Now it was Albus' turn to roll his eyes. "Potter, remember?"

"Shut it and come on, everyone's waiting." was the response. And, with that, she turned without another word and made her way down the hall. Albus felt slightly annoyed at this, but followed her none the less.

When he arrived, Aunt Hermione gave him a kiss on the cheek and said her favorite nephew was finally going to go learn things, Uncle Ron told him how Aunt Hermione had been completely stuck up there first year after making Albus promise not to tell, and Hugo decided tackling him from behind might be a good idea.

Luckily, Aunt Hermione took over the kitchen, sparring them the atrocious food mum had a habit of dishing out. Apparently, she hadn't inherited Grans' culinary skills. Mum's cooking wasn't aways bad, but.. Let's just say it wasn't any good either.

"So, I hear you got your wand." Uncle Ron grinned at Albus.

He spluttered over his food. "I- um.. Yeah, was great." Albus replied.

"How many?" mum asked.

"Huh?"

"How many wands did you have to try out?"

"Umm.." was the response. Albus had no idea, actually. He'd lost count after the seventeenth wand.

"Thirty one." dad replied.

James suddenly began to choke on the food in his mouth before managing to swallow it down.

"Thirty one? Thirty one! Ha, even wands don't like you-"

"JAMES!" mum exclaimed.

"Sorry." James mumbled, sending Albus a smirk the second her back was turned.

"Thirty one wands? Merlin, you must be picky." Rose muttered to Albus.

"I don't know." Albus replied, wondering if his brother was right.

To this, Rose did not respond, but instead, pulled out her own wand and waved it around gleefully. Albus grinned at her, doing the same... And set the table aflame in the process as a shower of sparks fell from his wand.

"Bloody hell!" Uncle Ron cried as he jumped to his feet.

Albus and Rose exchanged looks, before both of them put away their wands ever slowly as to not attract attention..

Then James caught them in the act, and, grinning at them, he yelled out, "Al and Rose set the table on fire!"

"What?" the adults asked.

Albus and Rose glared at him as he grinned even wider. "They were playing with their wands,-"

"Images." Uncle Ron coughed before Aunt Hermione smacked him upside the head.****  
><strong>**

"And they set the table on fire!" James exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger.

So, of course, the adult rounded on them like a pack of wolves.

"Rose?" Aunt Hermione asked.

"I knew she had some of me in her!" Uncle Ron said gleefully. Aunt Hermione glared at him and everyone groaned. Oh no. Not another row between the two of them..

"Albus, what happened?" dad intervened before Aunt Hermione could start hollering.

"I uh.. Waved my wand.. And it kind of.. You know..."

"Lit the table on fire?" James eagerly offered his 'aid'.

"Yeah. That.." Albus muttered.

"Ah.. I see." mum said even as she lifted up the burnt mantel and attempted to repair the damage Albus' wand had committed.

"Maybe you should take his wand away." James suggested.

"Or maybe I should take your wand away, young man." mum snapped at him.

"Shutting up now.."

Albus sighed in relief to the words, earning his brothers glare.

"We'll clean up here. All of you, go play Exploding Snap or something, whatever you midgets-"

"RON!"

"Do during your free time. Go on, get!"

"Ronald Weasley, I swear-"

"That you love me?"

"No! Well, yes, but that's not what I meant!"

"So you don;t love me? I'm so hurt."

"You know I didn't mean that, you great prat!"

"Well, if you'd stop disrespecting me in front of our children-"

"Well, if you started acting like an actual adult-"

As the two continued to argue(as usual) the children sneaked silently out the door, pretending to be ninjas as they went, much to the amusement of mum and dad.

Then we ran up the stairs.

And who's room do you think they all ended up in?

You guessed it.

"Out, prat." Albus said.

"Make me." James smirked.

To this, Rose stood, drawing her own wand and walking towards him menacingly. "James..."

"Leaving now!" James exclaimed, turning an fleeing out the door, much to Albus, Hugo, and Lily's amusement. Hugo then shot them a look before standing and going after him, shutting the door behind him.

Lily then turned to Rose. "Out of curiosity, do they always do that?"

To this, Rose shot her an incredulous look before turning to Albus.

"So..."

"So?"

"Hogwarts!"

"Oh.. Oh yeah! Finally!"

"All those years of waiting!"

"Exactly-"

"YOU BIG STUPID INSENSITIVE WART!"

The two turned just as Lily slammed the door shut behind her, causing the room to shake slightly and dust to fall from the ceiling.

So, the two cousins sat there, discussing whatever it is cousins discuss, oblivious(as all children are) to the world around them.

"Wait.." Rose said, looking around, interrupting their conversation over school houses.

"What?" Albus asked.

"Where's my wand?"

Albus frowned, before standing and helping her look.

"Can you go check if I left it in the dining room?" Rose asked.

"Sure!" Albus called, making his way out and silently threading down the stairs in case James was lurking around some corner. He was about to make his way into the kitchen to ask if it was in there when he heard voices.

"So.. He had.. The wand?" Uncle Ron was saying. The wand? Huh?

Aunt Hermione gave a loud dramatic sigh. Albus could practically see her rolling her eyes fondly.

"It chose him. I'm.. Scared, actually." dad replied.

Albus' hand froze just above the door knob.

"Don't be. He'll be fine-" mum began.

"Gin, he's my son. Of course he won't be fine." dad retorted, to which Uncle Ron laughed loudly at, before spluttering slightly.

What came next made Albus blink as Uncle Ron's voice drifted across the door.

"Look at it this way, mate; you had terrible luck half the time, but, when it really came down to it, everything came out for the best."

There was silence in the room. Albus' hand inched slightly closer to the knob, ready to open it and demand to know what was going on.

"The world's ending." mum finally concluded.

Albus halted, eager to hear more. He had, apparently, inherited his fathers habit of eavesdropping.

"What? Why?" Uncle Ron asked in a confused tone.

"You actually said something intelligent."

Albus had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing out lout at that one.

"OI!" Uncle Ron cried, to which the other three laughed.

"So.. Train station in three days. If I don't see you there, Harry, I don't care if your the Head of the Auror Office, I will break in and haul your arse off to see your own son off." Aunt Hermione threatened.

"I've managed to corrupt her into the noble at of swearing." Uncle Ron laughed loudly, to which I was sure Aunt Hermione glared.

"YOU PRAT, GIVE ME MY WAND BACK!" Rose's voice filled the house.

"I don't know what you're talking about." James replied calmly.

"JAMES POTTER, GIVE ME MY WAND BACK!"

Albus had a fraction of a second to realize the adults were making their way to the door before he turned and ran back up the stairs. Luckily, the sound of the screams above kept the noise he himself made to a minimum.

"I didn't-"

"I CAN SEE IF STICKING OUT OF YOUR POCKET, YOU DAFT IDIOT!"

I arrived on the scene, Rose on one side of the room, James on the other. Lily and Hugo calmly sat in the center, laughing.

"What the-?" James said as he pulled out the incriminating evidence from his right pocket.

"What happened?" mum asked as she walked through the door.

"James took my wand!" Rose accused.

"No I didn't!"

"James Potter.."

"Mum, I swear I didn't-"

"Alright, just give it back." mum snapped.

"Um.. Okay." James said as he walked to Rose, holding out the piece of wood to her. She snared it from his grip, gave him one last cold look, then walked out the door.

"Children these days.." Uncle Ron said.

"You tried to steal my wand, if you remember." mum said.

"Yup, and you ended up jinxing me and mum screamed her royal arse off-"

"Ronald!" Aunt Hermione exclaimed.

"Sorry." Uncle Ron replied, not sounding sorry at all.

"Between you and me.. I took it.." Hugo smirked at Albus, who covered up a snort as his brother continued to look around himself in utter confusion, wondering how he ended up with Rose's wand.

Albus left, waling out the door after the adults, making his way back to his room.

"That brother of yours is a prat, even if he is- Al, what's wrong?" Rose said as she noticed his expression, but Albus merely shook his head at her.

"Al?"

Again, he did not respond.


	4. The Train Station

A/N; the bold font, other than the title, is directly taken from the book. I did tweak it slightly, but only to make it from Albus' POV.

In the next chapter, I'll combine the first two chapters of my old Next Gen fic into one and edit the whole thing.

I'm also planning on updating this story more than the Reading the Book fic, since this technically was suppose to happen before the Reading the Books fic,

I also started another story were I'm making one shots about things that happened/were talked about in the Reading the Books fic. I'm currently writing a three part story on Salazar and the CoS. Whle everything I post in that fic will eventually end up in this one, just a heads up to everyone here.

Thanks for the feedback so far and please review :P

Goodnight, I guess.

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

**The Train Station**

"Sytherin, Slytherin..."

"I won't be in Slytherin, I won't!"

"I never said you would.." James sent him a cheekish grin. "I said you might be in Slytherin, I never said you would, you might be.."

"I WON'T BE IN SLYTHERIN!"

Lily winced as she gripped her ears, sending Albus a glare for this. His parents looked like they were resisting the urge to turn around and snap at them both to be silent. They were discussing school, after all.

"Slytherin, Slytherin.. Slytherin, slithering little Slytherin.." James chanted.

"I won't!" Albus shouted once more, his brother really was making him nervous.

"Then, we'll have to disown you.." James said solemnly.

"Mum and dad won't disown me!" Albus yelled at hm at the top of his lungs, which made the glass shake and nearly shatter. Evidently, combining the Weasley genes with the Evans genes had produced a terrifyingly loud screamer.

"Of course, you only might be in Slytherin.. Doesn't mean you will, just might be in-"

"James, leave your brother alone." mum snapped from the front seat.

"Mum, we're discussing education." James replied. She turned and shot him a look before settling herself back down. Dad chuckled slightly, even as he drove the car.

"And then there are the Threstals. Mind you, they're invisible, so.. If you happen to see one, it means your down right mental. Then there's Hagrid, oh, and did I mention the monster in the lake that eats up new students-"

"James!"

"Just kidding! Oh, and watch out for Mr. Gale, he's the old bat that patrols the corridors-"

"James Potter-"

"Only telling it how it is, mum!" he exclaimed.

Mum turned and shot him her famous Weasley glare, making the boy cower. "Silence!" she snapped at him.

"But-"

"James, listen to your mother."

James huffed, crossing his arms and glaring fiercely out the window.

Albus sighed in relief, enjoying the peace, the silence, the end to-

"Slytherin."

He turned and glared at his grinning brother for this.

"I won't!"

"I never said you would, Al." James explained slowly. "I just said you might be in Slytherin, you might be in the snake house with all the other git-"

"James Sirius Potter." his father reprimanded, shooting him a sharp look through the car mirror. "Slytherins are not gits."

"Name one decent one, then." James countered. His father raised eyebrow.

"Severus Snape." dad replied.

"Big deal, another one."

Mum turned around and gave James a deadly glare.

"Don't talk to your father that way, young man!" she snapped at him.

"It's alright, dear.." dad told her. Mum shot him a look, but he shook his head at her, looking at James again. "Andromeda. She was in Slytherin."

"What?" James said, shocked. "But.. She's to kind and sweet to be-"

"Enough. I've spent half my life fighting against people who see the world in black and white, and I'm not going to take it from my own son. I don't want to hear you talking like that ever again, do you understand young man?" dad demanded.

"No.." James hissed.

"What was that?" dad said sharply.

"Yes." James answered grudgingly.

They drove in relative silence, but, children being children, once more did the long conversation between the two of them commence once more..  
>"Of course, there's also Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, which are both nice, but nothing beats Gryffindor. But, if even wands don't want you.."<p>

"JAMES!" mum rounded on him, her face a classic shade of Weasley red as she glared at him.

"Let them be.." I thought I heard dad whisper.

"What?"

"Gin, they're kids. They're going to argue like that either way, with or without our presence."

Mum shot James one last look before tuning back to looking outside the window.

"And then there's the forest with centaurs and acromantula-"

"How do you know about the acromantulas?" dad turned, giving James a sharp look.

"Fred told me." James grinned.

Dad continued to look at him through narrowed, his eyes off the road..

"Harry!" mum exclaimed,

"Huh?"

But mum took the steering wheel, turning it, narrowly avoiding a car dad was about to crash in. Miraculously, the car slipped in between the small space between the car in front of us, and the railway that marked the end of the road before we slipped to the font of the line.

"Keep your eyes on the road!" mum reprimanded him.

"Sorry, dear.." dad muttered, his eyes locked forward.

Finally, they arrived at the train station. And what happened once they got off the car? You guessed it..

* * *

><p><strong>Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first of September was crisp as an apple, and as the little family bobbed across the rumbling road toward the great sooty station, the fumes of car exhausts and the breath of pedestrians sparkled like cobwebs in the cold air. Two large cages tattled on top of the laden trolleys the parents were pushing; the owls inside them hooted indignantly, and the redheaded girl trailed fearfully behind here brothers, clutching her father's arm.<strong>

**"It won't be long, and you'll be going too," **Dad** told her.**

**"Two years," sniffed Lily. "I want to go now!"**

**The commuters stared curiously at the owls as the family wove its way toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten, Albus's voice drifted back to Harry over the surrounding clamor; **the boys **had**** resumed the argument they had started in the car.**

**"I won't! I won't be a Slytherin!"**

**"James, give it a rest!" said **mum.

**"I only said he might be," said James, grinning at his younger brother. "There's nothing wrong with that. He might be in Slyth-"**

**But James caught his mother's eye and fell silent. The five Potters approached the barrier. With a slightly cocky look over his shoulder at his younger brother, James took the trolley from his mother and broke into a run. A moment later, he had vanished.**

**"You'll write to me, won't you?" Albus asked his parents immediately, capitalizing on the momentary absence of his brother.**

**"Every day, if you want us to," said **mum.

**"Not every day," said Albus quickly, "James says most people only get letters from home about once a month."**

**"We wrote to James three times a week last year," said **mum.

**"And you don't want to believe everything he tells you about Hogwarts,"** dad** put in. "He likes a laugh, your brother."**

**Side by side, they pushed the second trolley forward, gathering speed. As they reached the barrier, Albus winced, but no collision came. Instead, the family emerged onto platform nine and three-quarters, which was obscured by thick white steam that was pouring from the scarlet Hogwarts Express. Indistinct figures were swarming through the mist, into which James had already disappeared.**

**"Where are they?" asked Albus anxiously, peering at the hazy forms they passed as they made their way down the platform.**

**"We'll find them," said **mum** reassuringly.**

**But the vapor was dense, and it was difficult to make out anybody's faces. Detached from their owners, voices sounded unnaturally loud,** Albus** thought he head** Uncle** Percy discoursing loudly on broomstick regulations, and was quite glad** they did** not to stop and say hello. . . .**

**"I think that's them, Al," said **mum** suddenly.**

**A group of four people emerged from the mist, standing alongside the very last carriage. Their faces only came into focus when **dad**, **mum**, Lily, and Albus had drawn right up to them.**

**"Hi," said Albus, sounding immensely relieved.**

**Rose, who was already wearing her brand-new Hogwarts robes, beamed at him.**

**"Parked all right, then?"** Uncle **Ron asked** dad**. "I did. Hermione didn't believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you? She thought I'd have to Confound the examiner."**

**"No, I didn't," said** Aunt** Hermione, "I had complete faith in you."**

**"As a matter of fact, I did Confund him,"** Albus heard Uncle** Ron whispered to** dad, and he had to suppress his laugh **as **his father and Uncle** lifted Albus's trunk and owl onto the train. "I only forgot to look in the wing mirror, and let's face it, I can use a Supersensory Charm for that." **Uncle Ron concluded. Dad rolled his eyes, and, to the benefit of both, Aunt Hermione seemed none the wiser to their conversation.

**Back on the platform, they found Lily and Hugo, Rose's younger brother, having an animated discussion about which House they would be sorted into when they finally went to Hogwarts.**

**"If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you," said** Uncle** Ron, "but no pressure."**

**"Ron!"**

**Lily and Hugo laughed, but Albus and Rose looked solemn. **_Just like James said.. What if he wasn't kidding, what if-_

**"He doesn't mean it," said** Aunt** Hermione and** mum,** but** Uncle** Ron was no longer paying attention.**

**Catching **dad's eye**, he nodded covertly to a point some fifty yards away. The steam had thinned for a moment, and three people stood in sharp relief against the shifting mist.**

**"Look who it is."**

Curiosly, Albus followed his gaze. Rose, who had been telling him something about how she was glad we didn't run into Aunt Fleur, turned as well.

A man with receding blond hair, a pointed face, and wearing a dark suit stood mere feet from them. Albus vaugely recognized him as a man his Uncle despisesd and that his father grudginly got along with; Draco Malfoy.

He **was standing there with his wife and son, a dark coat buttoned up to his throat. His hair was receding somewhat, which emphasized the pointed chin. The boy** next to him **resembled Draco as much as Albus resembled** his own father**. Draco caught sight of **dad**,** Uncle** Ron, Hermione, and Ginny staring at him, nodded curtly, and turned away again.**

**"So that's little Scorpius," said** Uncle** Ron under his breath. ****"Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains."**

**"Ron, for heaven's sake," said** Aunt** Hermione, half stern, half amused. "Don't try to turn them against each other before they've even started school!"**

**"You're right, sorry," said** Uncle** Ron, but unable to help himself, he added, "Don't get too friendly with him, though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pureblood."**

**"Hey!"**

**James had reappeared; he had divested himself of his trunk, owl, and trolley, and was evidently bursting with news.**

**"Teddy's back there," he said breathlessly, ****pointing back over his shoulder into the billowing clouds of steam. "Just seen him! And guess what he's doing? Snogging Victoire!"**

**He gazed up at the adults, evidently disappointed by the lack of reaction.**

**"Our Teddy! Teddy Lupin! Snogging our Victoire! Our cousin! ****And I asked Teddy what he was doing -"**

**"You interrupted them?" said** mum**. "You are so like Ron -"**

**"Hey,"** Uncle** Ron said.**

**"- and he said he'd come to see her off! And then he told me to go away. He's snogging her!" James added as though worried he had not made himself clear.**

**"Oh, it would be lovely if they got married!" whispered Lily ecstatically. "Teddy would really be part of the family then!"**

**"He already comes round for dinner about four times a week," said **dad** "Why don't we just invite him to live with is and have done with it?"**

**"Yeah!" said James enthusiastically. "I don't mind sharing with Al-Teddy could have my room!"**

Albus gasped in horror. The concept of having to share a room with his brother.. He shuddered.

**"No," said **dad** firmly, "you and Al will share a room only when I want the house demolished."**

Albus let out a sigh of relief at this, causing Rose to roll her eyes at him.

**He checked the battered old watch that had once **belonged to our Great Uncle Fabian.

**"It's nearly eleven, you'd better get on board."**

**"Don't forget to give Neville our love!" **mum** told James as she hugged him.**

**"Mum! I can't give a professor love!"**

**"But you know Neville-"**

**James rolled his eyes.**

**"Outside, yeah, but at school he's Professor Longbottom, isn't he? I can't walk into Herbology and give him love. . . ."**

**Shaking his head at his mother's foolishness, he vented his feelings by aiming a kick at Albus.**

**"See you later, Al. Watch out for the thestrals."**

**"I thought they were invisible? You said they were invisible!"**

**But James merely laughed, permitted his mother to kiss him, gave his father a fleeting hug, then leapt onto the rapidly filling train. They saw him wave, then sprint away up the corridor to find his friends.**

**"Thestrals are nothing to worry about," **dad** told Albus. "They're gentle things, there's nothing scary about them. Anyway, you won't be going up to school in the carriages, you'll be going in the boats."**

Mum** kissed Albus good-bye.**

**"See you at Christmas."**

**"Bye, Al," said **dad** as his son hugged him. "Don't forget Hagrid's invited you to tea next Friday. Don't mess with Peeves. Don't duel anyone till you're learned how. And don't let James wind you up."**

**"What if I'm in Slytherin?"**

**The whisper was for his father alone, and** dad seemed to know** that only the moment of departure could have forced Albus to reveal how great and sincere that fear was.**

Dad **crouched down so that Albus's face was slightly above his own. Alone of **Dad's **three children,** only** Albus had inherited **their Grandmother's **eyes.**

**"Ablus Severus," **dad** said quietly, ****so that nobody but **mum** could hear, and she was tactful enough to pretend to be waving to Rose, who was now on the train,** though, of course, Abus noticed.** "you were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew."**

**"But just say-" **Albus began, unleashing one of his greatest fears out into the open.

**"-then Slytherin House will have gained an excellent student, won't it? It doesn't matter to us, Al. But if it matter to you, you'll be able to choose Gryffindor over Slytherin. The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account."**

**"Really?"**

**"It did for me," said **dad**.**

**He had never told any of **them** that before, and he saw the wonder in Albus's face when he said it. But now the door were slamming all along the scarlet train, and the blurred outlines of parents swarming forward for final kisses, last-minute reminders, Albus jumped into the carriage and **mum** closed the door behind him. Students were hanging from the windows nearest them. A great number of faces, both on the train and off, seemed to be turned toward **dad.

**"Why are they all staring?" demanded Albus as he and Rose craned around to look at the other students.**

**"Don't let it worry you," said** Uncle** Ron. "It's me, I'm extremely famous."**

**Albus, Rose, Hugo, and Lily laughed.**

**The train began to more, and Harry walked alongside it, watching his son's thin face, already ablaze with excitement. **Dad** kept smiling and waving, even though it was like a little bereavement, watching his son glide away from him. . . .**

**The last trace of steam evaporated in the autumn air. The train rounded a corner. Harry's hand was still raised in farewell.**

**"He'll be alright," murmured **mum**.**

**As **dad** looked at her, he lowered his hand absentmindedly and touched the lightning scar on his forehead.**

**"I know he will."**

The last part was more of an empty hope than anything else.


	5. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizard

A/N; I accidentally deleted this chapter.. So, I had to write it. Again. Thanks goes to CraZy Blue MonKey for pointing this out to me. Luckily, this chapter was just a combination of chapters two and thee from my Next Gen draft story, meaning it wasn't too hard to get done. I also noticed I wrote chapter three twice and never wrote chapter four.. That shall be corrected in a bit, but, for now, I'm fixing this chapter first.

For now, I'm going to post the unedited version while I get it fixed, just so that people reading through won't miss anything. The only difference is that this is in first person view, not third person

* * *

><p><p>

**Chapter 5**

**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**

"Al, hurry up!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!"

I heard laughter at the words from some of the older students as I raced after the train, but I didn't understand why. My mind was still the innocent one of an 11 year old boy as I jumped on board just in time.

I turned and waved frantically at my parents, my little sister glaring at me with a jealous edge. I stiffened a laugh at the sight, but Lily still noticed, and her mouth dropped. Her glare became deadly, meaning in a few months time I was gonna get it. They disappeared in the distance, gone.

I turned and jumped a mile in the air. My cousin, Rose, laughed loudly at me, shaking her head in amusement was standing inches away. Her black school robes where moving slightly with the wind, her red bushy hair swinging lightly as a gust passed us. Her eyes where a silvery blue, the same as her grandpa on her moms side.

"Come on Al, before all the good seats are taken." she told him.

"Yeah.. Let's go." I replied.

She smiled, before turning and leading the way. It was utterly useless to attempt to resist her lead. She had to much of her mother in her for that. So, I simply followed. We entered an empty compartment, sitting down at the end.

"Where's James?" I asked as I sat.

"Probably planing a full new array of pranks to tear up the school with Justin."

I nodded absentmindedly. Justin, Uncle Neville's son. Well, Neville wasn't really our Uncle per say, but he was practically familly anyways. My older brother was obviously an extremely bad influence on him, considering that James had turned our. peaceful cousin into a full blown prankster.

"So, this is it." Rose grinned widely.

I grinned back. "I can't believe where finally going."

"Aren't you scared?" she asked.

"Nah, 'course not." I answered a little to quickly. She simply raised her eyebrows at me, not buying it for a second. "Fine," I surrendered, "James got me all paranoid on the way here..."

"Remind me to hit him later."

I laughed as I shook my head. "What is it with you and wildly abusing others?" I asked.

She narrowed her eyes at me and lifted her hand threateningly. I laughed even harder, and soon, she joined in.

"Idiot." she declared.

"Abuser den'fantes!" I countered.

She growled and I laughed again. Aunt Fluer had nicknamed Rose 'child abuser' since she had an insatiable habit of smacking everyone upside the head playfully. She completly hated it, which is what made it funny in the first place.

"Your impossible." she laughed and shook her head.

"Aww, come on, you know you love me Rose."

"Your familly. I have no choice in the matter."

I laughed again and she ended up joining me. I'd been told countless times that my laughter was extremely contagious, and even Rose, who was usually the serious one, always ended up submitting to it in the end.

Suddenly, the compartment door swung open, and a boy with pale blonde hair stuck his head in. "Can I sit here? Everywhere else is full."

I shrugged and nodded before looking away. Something about the boy was oddly familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"Malfoy." Rose said to my surprise. She was staring at the boy through narrowed eyes as he sat. I reminded myself that she had inherited her fathers prejudice against the Malfoys, unlike I, who didn't give a damn.

"Um, yeah, so?" the boy asked.

She simply glared at him before looking away.

"Anyways, what house do you think you'll be in?" she asked me, completly ignoring the other boy who stared at her in wonder, his mouth opened in surprise.

"Does it matter?" I asked, the spirit of the short speech my dad had given me still flowing through my veins

"I wouldn't mind Ravenclaw, but I still would like to be in Gryffindor like mum and dad. I just hope I don't end up in Slytherin, dad would never say it to my face but he'd be disappointed." she said rapidly.

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed the other boy glaring at her.

"Rose, your completly mental, of course you'll be in Gryffindor." I teased.

She laughed as she attempted to swat my arm. The other boy laughed at the two of us, resulting in Rose glaring at him.

"Seriously, what is your problem?" the boy demanded.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all." she replied apathetically.

"Doesn't look like nothing." the boy scoffed.

"Rose, leave him alone, he hasn't done anything." I told her. She simply rolled her eyes and looked away, straight through the window at the passing wilderness.

"Sorry for that." I told the boy.

"Its alright I guess. I get that a lot." the boy shrugged as if the fact that people where randomly rude to him was perfectly normal.

"What? Why?" I asked, concerned.

"Because my grandfather was a crazed Dark Wizard and my dad was going that way."

"Your father is an arrogant prick." Rose commented as she turned to fix her deadly glare on the boy again.

"Oi! You don't know him, so you can-"

"Oh, I do." Rose interrupted.

"How?" I asked.

"Mom's Pensive." she replied.

"Oh.." I nodded, remembering the time I tried to sneak a peak into dad's Pensive. I'd been caught less than a minute after I managed to get in, which wasn't much sadly enough.

"And what exactly did you see?" the boy demanded.

"Your dad. Being a complete arse."

I had to laugh at the sight of tiny little innocent looking Rose swearing. She had inherited her fathers talent for colorful words.

Just then, the doors opened again. A boy with dark hair that could of been the first boys twin gazed inside, his deep blue eyes resting on the pale blond boy. "Scorp, I promised Aunt Astoria I'd watch after you, and I've been looking everywhere. Come on, let's go."

"I don't see why I need a damn keeper..." Scorpius muttered.

"Belive me, I don't like it either, but I did promise and I am a man of my word."

"Twelve is hardly considered manhood, Orion." Scorpius laughed.

"Thirteen! Well, in two days anyways. Come on, don't make me drag you." Orion threatened.

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Fine.." he muttered as he stood, following his cousin out without a second glance.

"Good, its gone..." Rose muttered.

"Rose, what's wrong with you? He didn't do anything-"

"Yet, Al. Yet. If he's anything like his father, trust me, even you'll hate him."

"Shouldn't we give him a chance, though?"

"Dad told me that Malfoys dad threatened him and your dad the first day they met, on this train, telling them they where gonna die. I don't trust him at all."

I was completly silent at that. The silence stretched ever so lightly before we struck up another conversation, finding random topics to pass the time. Before long, Hogwarts was in sight. We where here, finally here.

I felt the train coming to an abrupt stop as we reached Hogsmead station. I stood, and Rose followed suit.

"Come on!" I said, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice as I raced to the door and stood there, holding it open for her like the little gentleman I was. She rolled her eyes at me as she walked through it.

As soon as we got out of the train, we heard the booming voice of a chuckling half-giant. "Firs' years, this way, firs' years!" Hagrid called.

"Don't fall in the lake, I hear the Giant Squid tries to eat at least one kid a year..." James whispered in my ear, causing me to jump in fright.

"James, leave him alone or so help me..." Rose lifted her wand, a mad gleam in her eyes.

He mock shuddered in response, before turning and going with some friends of his.

"Come on." Rose said, turning without a second look at James. Together, we reached Hagrid, who beamed at us.

"'ello Albus, 'ello Rose." he smiled at us.

"Hey Hagrid." I smiled back at our family friend.

"Come on now, hurry up." he waved us of and began herding the rest ofthe first years. I chuckled in response.

Rose nudged my shoulder. "Look." she pointed, a smirk dancing on her lips.

A few feet away stood the boy from the train, Scorpius, looking terrified as he eyed Hagrid's giant form wearily. I couldn't hold back the chuckled at the sight. His face was priceless, even more so considering how harmless Hagrid was.

We ended up in one of the little canoes with another boy who's name I didn't know with brown curly hair.

The entire ride, James' words echoed in my skull. And, through some sick ironic twist, my worst fears where confirmed as a giant tentacle rose from the water sharply right in front of our boat. We all jumped at the frozen water hit.

"Down, Jerry, you stop tha right now mister!" Hagrid attempted to reprimand the monster and I silently thought that only Hagrid could name a Giant Squid such an ordinary name as 'Jerry'. The arm sunk back into the lake at Hagrid's command, becoming crystal clear and glass like once more.

Hagrid laughed and we all stared at him incredulously. I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, Scorpius' expression. I held in my own hysteria. It was a hundred time worse than the one he had when he got of the train. "Ah, good ol' Jerry, he likes scarin' the firs' years on occasion. Wouldn hurt a fly." Hagrid chuckled.

I suddenly recalled Uncle Ron's dark words of once having witnessed Hagrid present a dragon with a teddy bear. Then I remembered dad pointing out that Ron wasn't even there. I had doubted it before, but now, I wasn't so sure...

There was a large 'Oooooooh!" and I turned, and my jaw dropped. Before us was a magnificent castle, ripping into the sky, its windows ablaze with light and magic. I silently wondered how we didn't notice it before and wondered if it had anything to do with all the extra enchantments dad said was placed on it after some war that he never wanted to go into detail about.

"Heads down!" Hagrid called as we reached a cliff. We ducked as we passed under it, the massive castle now directly above us. We went through a dark underground tunnel, until at last we reached the end and our boats collided against the underground harbor.

We got out eagerly, Hagrid leading the way, and reached the massive front doors. "Alright, this is it." Hagrid smiled, before knocking quiet briskly on the massive oak doors.

The doors swung open at once. On the other side stood a middle aged man, his deep blue robes flowing down his sides. My first impression was immediately that he looked rather like a turkey, and I wondered silently to myself why he let his goatee grown in such an odd fashion. The yellowish skin clung to his bony face as he stared us down.

"Thank you, Hagrid." he spoke in a clear, respectable tone. I was surprised. I had half expected him to crow like a rooster.

"Yer welcome, Professor Verus." Hagrid replied. Huh. The guys name was apparently as strange as his appearance. He motioned us forwards, and, like tiny solders, we marched of trough the castle.

The place was ominous, the massive stone walls on either side, flaming torches high above. We passed corridor through corridor in silence. It felt like I was in a medieval castle, but I wasn't sure how old Hogwarts was. I'd ask Rose, but that would just give her more motivation to call me her favorite word- idiot.

We walked in awe, across moving staircases and talking paintings. A few of the Muggle-borns gasped at that, pointing.

Finally, Professor Verus turned to face us again as we reached two giant doors. "Well, this is it! Beyond these doors lies a test, a very special and crucial test which will decide which house you shall stay in here at Hogwarts. Each house has its own unique history, and rival-ships.." he paused here, as if the idea of the houses turning on each other would be the best thing to ever come to pass, "They shall be like your family... And the other houses shall be like your enemies, who you must crush in the race for the house cu-"

Suddenly, the doors opened, and one of my favorite people in the world poked his head right through. "Professor Verus? You're taking an awful long time, and the students are getting hungry." Uncle Neville spoke.

A few of the girls sighed dreamily at the sight of him. Fan girls. Evil little fan girls. We all had them. James seemed to be the only one to like the attention, though. I shuddered at what they would do when my secret identity was finally discovered. Damn James and his love of attention, they would probably all expect me to react like him.

"Oh. My mistake, of course, this way students!" Professor Verus declared. Uncle Neville smiled at me and Rose before disappearing back into the hall.

"You know Neville Longbottom?" a girl asked anxiously.

"Ummmm..." was my brilliant response.

"He's our Uncle." Rose rolled her eyes. I groaned. Leave it to Rose to reveal something like that. Then again, anyone with half a brain would no better not to tick her of. It was really simple; mixing the Weasley and Granger genes had managed to produce the most dangerous creature since dragons.

We were saved from questioning as Professor Verus led us into the hall. There, the object of our destruction awaited; the Sorting Hat, out of which any true Gryffindor could pull out Gryffindor's sword. I wondered, silently, if one could pull other founder objects from it. Uncle Bill smiled at us from up at the table, and I waved back.

I heard a few people scream and wondered if this was the end at last. Turning around, ducking for cover, I saw pale figures swooping down, a few laughing, and tossing what looked like... Heads. They where tossing human heads around at each other and us. And each head was cackling like a mad man.

"ENOUGH!" a stern voice roared, and suddenly, there was a bolt of red energy sweeping through the air. The Ghosts squealed before turning full and galloping away on their dead steeds.

Next to me, Rose was clutching her chest in fear with wide eyes. A few feet away, that boy from the train had his hair in a mess. Somehow, this sandy haired kid had lost his pants, and don't ask me how or why, put they were now on his head.

"I got the runt, Headmistress, I got him now!" a greasy old man declared with a beatific expression. As the hall turned to look, I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Of course. Only James would go and convince a bunch of ghosts to raid the Great Hall, interrupt the Sorting Ceremony, and terrify us all half to death. I had a feeling he'd done this all especially for me as a welcome home gift.

"JAMES POTTER!" professor McGonagall, our Headmistress, roared. Her face was angrier then I'd ever seen it. She looked ready to expel James right there on the spot.

"Professor, allow me to handle him, please." Uncle Neville to the rescue. Professor McGonagall shifted her glare from one to the other in rapid motion.

"I will deal with you later, young man." McGonagall gave James a cold glare and he shivered. "Neville?" she motioned him forward.

"Of course." Uncle Neville said before quickly departing the staff table and taking James from the old greasy guy. He gave James a stern look before dragging him away.

McGonagall closed her eyes, apparently composing herself before she sat back down and motioned Professor Verus to continue. He pulled out a list, informed us that when he called our name, we where to go and try on the ancient and smelly looking hat over on the stool, and it would decide what house we would be in.

The brim of the hat opened, but if any sound came out, I have no idea for at that moment a loud, ghostly wail was heard in the background. That, and a voice that made me picture a humble looking friar shouting "There's no need to fight!" Professor Verus looked ecstatic at the mention of the world 'fight'. The hat finished the song that I had failed to pay attention to and there was a large applause from the students. I joined, pretending to like it as much as they did.

"Savanna Nest." Professor Verus called. This girl with curly dirty blond hair moved towards the stool nervously. She had a couple of freckles on both her cheeks, her ice blue eyes wide and displaying that she did not like the fact that we all were staring at her. That, of course, made us stare harder.

Professor Verus placed the hat on her head, and we watched as the mouth moved silently. Though I couldn't see her face, I had the impression that blondie was talking back.

"Hmmm... Iffy... Gryffindor!" the hat called. The Gryffindor table cheered. I found myself looking for my brother, expecting him to be the loudest when I realized he wasn't there.

Savanna practically ran of the stool in an attempt to get of the spot light. It failed when she sat down at the Hufflepuff table instead and hundreds laughed. Blushing deep red, she made her way to the Gryffindor table instead.

"Maria Anna Lestrange." Professor Verus called. A few people gasped a dark haired girl with eyes like frozen steel made her way to the stool, glaring at everyone who looked at her with fearsome looking eyes.

She sat down and the hat was placed on her head. It took about three seconds for the brim to open and the hat to shout "Slytherin!"

The girl got of, glared one last time at us, then made her way to sit at the Slytherin table. I got the impression she was used to people judging her on sight, and I wondered why.

The sorting continued from there. Uriel Vallen was the first to join the Ravenclaw table as Fay West was the first to join Hufflepuff. Rose was called and she looked at me nervously before rushing forth. The hat took longer on her than the others before it finally decided on Gryffindor.

"Molly Weasley." Professor Verus called. I watched as our cousin made her way up, and suddenly realized how distant we where. We rarely talked, like the rest of the family. Molly was always so closed, to serious, with a pompous air about her. The hat considered before deciding on Hufflepuff. I raised an eyebrow. A Weasley in Hufflepuff? Then again, Uncle Bill's kids where both in Ravenclaw last time I checked. It seemed the old Gryffindor tradition had broken.

Nico de Altar joined Maria at the Slytherin table and Helen Ruiz joined the Ravenclaws. Stephen Mason joined the Gryffindors after that. I was starting to wonder if I would ever be called when at last, Professor Verus said my name with a slight smirk.

"Potter?" "Potter, did he say Potter?" "Famous new kid!" "Celebrity!" "Wasn't that his brother, the ghost kid?" I cursed James under my breath as I walked in a way that would have my mum scrubbing my mouth clean with soap if she ever discovered.

The hat fell over my eyes and I knew darkness.

Hmmmm... Difficult, I'll say, unlike your brother... You remind me of your father,

I couldn't help but feel smug at the last part as the hat continued to mumble.

Hmmm.. Strong mind, I'd say. Intelligent, great potential.. Ambitious.. A heart of gold... Where to place you, where to place you.. Difficult, very difficult..

Please, I mentally pleaded, let me be in Gryffindor...

If a hat could snort, I swear this one did.

Well, father like son, aye?

I smiled weakly at that. The hat chuckled as the brim opened wide. "GRYFFINDOR!" it roared.

I got up, smiling slightly as I made my way to the Gryffindor table, where Rose gave me a quick hug and Justin grinned at me. My cousin Fred clapped we on the back before he turned and wolf-whistled. A few people glared at me, and I was under the impression that I was being blamed for James' stupidity.

"Scorpius Malfoy!" Professor Verus called. The pale blonde boy made his way to the stool.

"Slytherin the second it touches his head, you mark my words..." Rose muttered darkly. It was starting to get really annoying, and Rose was already annoying as they come normally so this was worse.

Just like me, it took a while to decide. Rose blinked weird as she stared in shock. I tried not to chuckle at her flabbergasted impression, which really was hard.

Finally. The brim of the hat opened wide, and it shouted, "SLYTHERIN!" the pale boy looked very smug as he got of the stool, and I noticed his cheeks where flushed, as if he'd been blushing all the while under that hat. I wonder what it told him, though I'd never find out.

Damian Valdez soon joined next to me on the Gryffindor table as Jacob Night joined the Ravenclaws. Morgan Frost followed Jacob, and Vanessa Quill joined the Hufflepuffs. Eric Evans joined us soon after, followed by Kyle Turner. The hat grumbled a little before deciding to toss him in Hufflepuff.

Victoria Dare was the last to rise up. She had long flowing red hair and dangerous looking eye. The hat grumbled in annoyance as she sat, taking a while to decide. Finally. It declared her a Slytherin and Professor Verus walked off with the stool and hat.

McGonagall stood, facing us all. "Well.. It seems the start of another great year. Forgive me if I must ask you not to rile up the ghosts." a few people laughed at that. "We would like to welcome our new Professor of Transfiguration, Professor Vantius Verus!" Professor McGonagall motioned to the turkey dude. A few clapped politely at him.

"On a side note, as usual, access to the Forbidden Forest is, for obvious reasons, forbidden. The caretaker, Mr. Gale, has asked I tell you all that any objects from Weasley Wizard Wheezes are strictly forbidden. Also, the Seventh hall corridor is out of bounds to all students this year."

There was mumbling on the last part. I wondered what was so important about this seventh hall corridor.

"And now.. Let the feast begin!" McGonagall called. She waved her wand and thousands of foods appeared before us. Judging by Rose's expression, this was Weasley heaven.

McGonagall didn't stay to eat with us. Instead, she rounded the staff table, looking livid, and made her way out the hall, no doubt after Uncle Neville and to yell at James. I wondered when mum's howler would come in to chew James out. That would be hilarious.

On that happy note, we ate and chattered before making our way to the dormitories. The second my skull hit the pillow I fell fast asleep, knowing no more.

I had a very strange dream that night. I imagined Professor Verus telling me that I must fight, Scorpius telling me to trust him, and Rose on my other side pleading me to take her hand instead, all the while Professor Verus shouting, "Fight, fight!"

I trashed around a little and knew no more. By morning, I'd forgotten the entire thing.


	6. Framed

A/N; History, history. Interesting, isn't it? It seems, that like my other stoty(PPF One Shots) I'm going to start inserting historical references, to make the story more realistic. the first set of these have to do with the Salem Witch Trails, as one of our lovely Professors, David Hawthorne, is a direct descendant of one of the Judges. In real life, i have absolutely no idea who the true last descendant of Salem Judge John Hathorne is, but for this story, David is the one(sounds cheessy, I know, but whatevers).

Elizabeth Proctor, third wife to John Proctor, mother of William, Sarah, and John was one of the several accused witches during the Salem Witch Trails. Her Grandmother, Ann Holland Basset Burt, was executed on similar charges years prior, during 1969. While, in real life, neither of the two were witches, in this story, both were actual witches and Elizabeth was the founder of the Salem Witch Institutes, which, consequently, she named in honor of the Salem victims, all of which were ordinary Muggles.

Just a heads up, but this information may or may not be important later on. Abigail Williams, despite being a downright bitch in her own right, was one of my favorite characters from the Crucible(the play written by Arthur Miller based on the historic events in Salem), so I just might mess with these historical references later on. Might. That is not assured, as it is not yet decided.

Anyways, rant over(for those of you who read these. Personally, I almost always skim them), on with the story.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

**Framed**

There was no sign of James the next day, as if he'd disappeared of the surface of the earth. Albus wasn't surprised by this in the slightest. Mum in a temper was something to fear..

Albus received awed stares where ever he walked. He even caught one girl trailing behind him ever so slowly, before jumping behind a suit of armor when he turned around to face only thing that truly kept the fan girls back was th glare of one Rose Weasley, who knew her cousin detested the attention just as much as she did. So she was doing her best to keep them at bay.

The classes where.. Well, let's just say learning had never been Albus' strong point. He almost fell asleep in History of Magic while Professor Hawthorn told them about how his ancestor massacred a bunch of Muggles because they thought they where witches.

"Between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries A.D., an estimated 60,000 people were executed under the crime of witchcraft, the majority female Muggles. My ancestor, John Hathorne, personally participated in the famed Witch Trails of Salem. In the memory of the executed, the witch Elizabeth Procter, one of the few to escape unscathed do to the fact she was pregnant at the time, thus founded the Salem Witch Institutes in the aftermath of the carnage in honor of the victims, all of whom were innocent Muggles who could preform no more magic than a common squib."

Professor Hawthorn then continued on to decribe several more such trials, before Albus started dozing of, much to Rose's annoyance.

Professor Verus informed them all of the complexity of Transfiguration, and how they must learn to exert their will on things to force them to change, whatever that means. "We must use our magic to fight the natural order of things, to shift them and to twist them to our own personal benefits. This is the art of Transfiguration. Unlike other magics you will find, Transfiguration is one of the most complex branches of wizarding lore, its complexity spanning the centuries, when it was first invented by.."

At this point, Albus passed out on his desk, causing Rose to groan and shake her head in exasperation.

Professor Flitwick, who was arguably the oldest teacher at Hogwarts, levitated half the desks with a flick of his wand then refused to tell us how he did it.

Professor Bane, the Potions Master, was personally Albus' least favorite. He sneered at them all, told them they were a lot of idiots that would never learn, then began his lesson with a third year potion(according to Rose) as a pretest.

But the class Albus really wanted to go to was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Apparently, Uncle Bill had taken the position after the last one was left unfit to continue teaching after being cursed by McGonagall. Albus had asked how that happened, but anyone he asked became mysteriously mute for several minutes afterwords.

The bell rang, and Albus and Rose rushed to the Great Hall. Well, tried to rush. They ended up getting lost somewhere along the way on a moving staircase.

"Damn it!" Rose huffed.

"Lost?" a voice called. Together, they turned as Nearly-Headless Nick beagn to float in their direction. Rose's eyes widened. If Albus didn't know any better, he'd say she was scared.

"No!" she said a little too quickly.

"Yes." Albus contradicted. She glared at him. "We're trying to find the Great Hall."

"I was just going down there myself." he replied.

"Great, can you take us?" Albus asked.

"Certainly."

"Thanks."

With that, he led them forward. Rose was trying to hide a grimace as she followed, trying to keep on her big girl face. She was afraid of ghosts? Huh, did not see that one coming from a girl that could give a banshee a run for its money.

They arrived, and Albus thanked Nick as they entered. Rose was practically running in her rush to get away from the ghost.

"What is wrong with the girl?" Nick asked Albus.

"No idea..." he muttered before rushing in after her. "Hey!" he called as he finally caught up to her. She turned to give him a fierce glare.

"Never.. Do that.. Again!" she snarled.

"Your afraid of ghosts?" Albus asked, resisting the urge to laugh. It just sounded ridiculous.

"Tell anyone, and I will hurt you." she promised, and Albus elieved her. Even James knew better than to mess with her- most of the time.

They ate in silence after that. Albus knew his cousin needed a little time to cool of. She wasn't used to being afraid of anything, so he guess Nearly-Headless Nick must have terrified her.

With a start, Albus realized that if Nick scared her.. James' prank might have left her traumatized.. That made him mad. Really mad. James Potter had just officially provoked his little brother's wrath.

Just then, said idiot appeared, looking flustered as he sat across from them. "Listen-" he began.

"Go away, James!" Rose snapped. Albus silently lamented the fact that he didn't know any god curses at the moment.

"Guys, just hear me out, please?" James pleaded.

In response, Albus picked up his fork, twirling it between his fingers. "If you don't go.." he began casually, before stabbing it quickly into the table, making both Rose and James jump. "I just might chuck this at your abnormally large head."

James just stared at the fork, wide eyed, before looking up at Albus, his eyes wide. "Since when are you so mental?" he demanded.

Albus just raised eyebrow to that, then picked up the fork and held it as if to throw it. "Get out of my sight. Now." he commanded.

"Sheesh, 11 year olds these days.." James muttered to himself as he stood and left.

"Thank you." Rose said, a little grudgingly. She always hated when she needed any type of help, so Albus assumed that was the reason for the bitter tone.

He smiled at her. "Any time, cus. Pass me the salad over there please."

She rolled her eyes as she passed him the salad. They ate in relative, calm silence after that, chatting with the rest of the Gryffindors, about the classes, etc etc.

Then, Dominique, Uncle Bill's daughter, showed up, and all ell broke loose. Fury lit in her blue eyes, her strawberry blond hair swaying as she advanced upon us all dangerously.

"Rose! Is your mother completely mental!" she screeched.

People turned to stare.

"Excuse me?" Rose demanded hotly.

"Read it." Dominique replied, slamming the Daily Prophet onto the table, spilling Albus' pumpkin juice.

"Dominique! Calm down." Uncle Bill said sternly as he approached us. Several of the younger years shivered at the battle scars running along the side of his face, the gruesome deep gashes that painted the story of a man wounded.

"What's wrong?" he whispered when he finally reached her.

But Dominique just shook her head, pointing to the Prophet before looking away, her arms crossed.

Curiously, Uncle Bill picked it up, staring at the front page. He raised an eyebrow in the air, his expression growing more shocked as he continued to read on.

"What does it say?" Rose asked.

But he just shook his head at them before he rolled up the paper, looked at us all, and said. "I think I'll have to look more into this. Dominique, leave your cousins alone."

Dominique huffed, glared one last time at Rose, then stormed off.

"What does it say?" Rose demanded.

"Er.. nothing to important."

And, with that, Uncle Bill ignoring Albus and Rose as they continued to ask him a wide array of questions, walked off. He muttered something to Professor McGonagall and she sighed, shaking her head in exasperation, her hand gripping at her aged head.

"What was that about?" Albus turned to Rose.

"I don't know.." she answered, before she turned so quickly that Albus jumped. "But.. I intend to find out."

They waited, and waited, and waited. Albus had never wanted the bell to ring to signal the end of lunch as much as he wanted it to right now. uncle Bill could avoid them outside of the classroom, but sooner of later, they would make him answer their question.

The bell finally, after what seemed to be like a lifetime rang, signaling them all to go to their next class, which, in the case of the first year, just so happened to be Defense. Uncle Bill wouldn't be able to run now, would he?

Uncle Bill was just standing there, his back turned to them all, writing on a board. The class filed in, and when he turned, a few people screamed. He snorted. "Friendly reception." his heavily scarred face turned into a gruesome looking grin.

"Sir.. Um, are you alright?" Damian Valdez asked, sounding genuinely concerned instead of disgusted.

"He's hideous!" Victoria Dare snorted to one of her friends. Albus glared at her for that.

"Perfectly fine, just a few old war scars. Mind you, transformed or not, a werewolf can, not necessarily is, but can be deadly." Uncle Bill informed them as if he hadn't heard Victoria at all.

Of course, half the class gasped. "You're a werewolf!" Vanessa Quill shouted, moving her desk away from him, fear in her eyes.

"Of course he isn't, he said a werewolf is dangerous transformed or not." Jacob Night pointed out, rolling his eyes

"Freak school.." Kyle Turner muttered. Albus glared at the Hufflepuff.

"Werewolf... Awesome!" Damian exclaimed, causing a few people to eye him weirdly.

"Class, settle down, and no, I am not a werewolf. My name is Professor William Weasley, I have been teaching here for the past 18 years, I am a former curse breaker for Gringotts Bank and these scars," he pointed to the gashes running down his face. "Were the after effect of a run in with a werewolf I had a few years back, while he was in human form. The only lasting side effect is a craving for rare meat, but that's beside the point. We are here to learn, not hear my life's story. Names?"

With that, each of them gave their names. Uncle Bill nodded as if he actually remembered, but Albus knew him well enough to know he'd probably forgotten them each. One after the other.

Unfortunately, the only thing they actually did was book work. Uncle Bill wanted them to take notes on dangerous creatures and how to take them down, or at least get away with your wand still in one piece, before delving into an actual lesson.

The entire time, Albus and Rose kept trying to get Uncle Bill's attention, but, like most adults, he seemed to have become mute to the call of his name and blind to the hands waving him frantically over.

When the class finally ended, Uncle Bill motioned them all out, and when Albus and Rose tried to protest, he blatantly pushed them straight out the door before shutting it behind them.

Disappointed, Albus and Rose made their way back to the Gryffindor Tower, never once considering the fact that the Daily Prophet Uncle Bill had confiscated couldn't possibly be the only one in the school.

"Did you see his scars? They shouldn't let someone like that teach here!" Eric Evans told them all as they walked. Rose flushed red in rage.

"You know what!" Albus snapped before she could open her mouth. "You leave him alone! So he looks different, so what! There is nothing wrong with my uncle, and I swear if you say another word about him-"

"Werewolf dudes your uncle? Cool!" Damian interrupted with enthusiasm.

"Damian." Stephen said.

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

"He's your un- I um I'm sorry." Eric mumbled.

Rose drew her wand and jabbed it under his chin.

"Rose, calm down!" Savanna cried.

"Insult my family Uncle again..." Rose began.

"What have we here?" a voice called. Rose nearly dropped her wand as they all turned, Professor Verus making his way towards them.

"She's threatening me!" Eric exclaimed, pointing at Rose. Gryffindor my arse, Albus thought.

"Really? Excellent!" Professor Verus surprised them all and they stared at him weirdly. "Only through experience do we adapt! Though, as much as I dislike it, my contract does bind me to tell you not to do that again, Ms. Weasley. Come now, to your dormitories!" he called us off.

Rose huffed and turned without a word. Albus glared one last time at Eric, and then raced after her.

He caught up to her in the common room. "Hey, you ok- why are you crying?"

She looked up at him with red eyes. "I can't stand it, the way they talk about Uncle Bill.. Its just so..." she trailed of. Staring at the floor before looking up with a glare. "Tell no one I cried." she ordered.

"Rose?" a voice called. They turned as James came in, looking at her with concern.

"Go away!" she snapped.

"What happened?" he demanded as he rushed forward. Rose stood.

"Nothing!" she hissed.

"Who. Hurt. You." he demanded, his eyes loosing their usual humor, the way they get whenever he goes into over protective big brother mode. Albus momentarily forgot he was suppose to be mad at his brother when he saw the emotion in his eyes.

Albus gave one look at Rose before turning to him and telling him what happened. By the time he was done, well, let's just say those kids where lucky it had been Albus and Rose there, and not James.

"That.. Those... Rose, listen to me, not everyone is like us, as accepting as us.. So, what I'm saying is, let them grow out of it. But if they keep it up.. Ugh!" he hissed, red in the face.

Rose just nodded. It seemed, for once, they where on the same team.

"What did you want to tell us at lunch?" Albus asked, suddenly remembering.

Rose gave him a weird look while James scrambled his brains(as if he had any). "Oh! Yeah! Um, I didn't set the ghosts on you guys!"

They just stared at him as if he'd lost his mind. "Yes you did." Rose said bluntly.

"No, I didn't."

They continued to stare.

"Look, I wouldn't have done that.. I'd like to say it was me, cause it was hilarious, but I've been framed! Besides, if I really pulled of that prank, do you think I'd get caught? That, and as annoying as I am, do you really think I'd try and mess up your guy's sorting ceremony?"

Silence.

"That was.. Smart." Rose said in amazement.

"Yeah, yea- OI!" he huffed.

Okay. So, James might be innocent. Might. Albus had seen his act hundreds of times, and James had it so near perfect it was hard to tell between the truth and the lie. With that in mind, Albus layed down, letting himself go to sleep, thinking; who would frame James and why? That, or you're being manipulated by your big brother as usual, an angry voice spoke inside his head. Shut up, Albus snarled at it, before he realized he was talking to himself. Albus groaned, rolled over, and let sleep take him.


	7. Dragon Dung

A/N; This one starts off the same as the last one, but it is very, very different towards the end. This is the point were this story and the other start to separate. Mind you, it's still the same basic plot, the other one was just a jumbo mix and this one is more organized now that I actually know where its going.

On another note, if you want to get a better view into Keyro's character, he's in my Shattered Peace story. As I did invent him, I decided to toss him in that.

Also, I finished the story pertaining to Salazar and the Chamber of Secrets. It is cut into three or four parts, depending on your prospective. I split part 3 into part 3a and part 3b, not because of a change in subject like the other parts, but because throwing the whole thing at you at once seemed way too long. In conclusion, that lone part numbered way over 10,000 words, and I wrote it after working my ass off for two days, which I only managed to do because I didn't go to school that day.

But, besides the point, on with the story.

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><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

**Dragon Dung**

"JAMES SIRIUS POTTER, HOW DARE YOU! THIS TIME YOU HAVE GONE TO FAR! SETTING THE HEADLESS HUNT LOOSE DURING YOUR BROTHERS SORTING CEREMONY? I AM ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED! DO YOU HAVE NO SORT OF RESPECT WHAT SO EVER, YOUNG MAN? IF YOU PUT ONE MORE ITTY BITY TOE OUT OF LINE, I PROMISE YOU I WILL SHOW UP AT SCHOOL AND DRAG YOU AWAY BY THE EAR IN FRONT OF ALL OF YOUR LITTLE FRIENDS! Oh, and Albus, congratulations on making Gryffindor, me and your father couldn't be more proud."

With that, the red letter exploded in fiery flames, the ashes falling all over James and onto his morning breakfast. His expression was priceless. Everyone burst out laughing at his expense, though a few people glared at him at the reminder of his little prank.

"Cool, fire!" Katherine Finnigan, a third year, exclaimed in excitement. Albus looked at her a little weirdly but all her friends burst out laughing with amused expressions.

"Well..." James said slowly. "That was freaking awesome!" he cheered.

Albus rolled his eyes at said idiot, but next to him, Rose narrowed her eyes. "I still don't buy this 'I've been framed bs.'"

With the words, Albus was once more filled with anger. James had scared Rose. He'd terrified her with her with, to Albus' only knowledge, her lone fear. The thought made him angry all over again.

Little did he know that Rose's phasmophobia had little to do with the actual presence of ghosts, but something else entirely..(Random A/N; you people might want to remember that)

Out of seemingly no where, Eric Evans popped out of the blue. Albus and Rose both glared at him for this.

"Look, I wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday-"

"Save it for someone who believes you." Rose snapped. Albus narrowed his eyes at that. Rose hated being deceived so much that she studied out of a book that showed her the tell tell signs that people emit when they're lying so she could tell when someone was trying to trick her. Unfortunately, James had also studied said book for a different purpose- so no one would be able to tell when he was lying. If she thought Eric was trying to trick them.. Well, Albus was very inclined to believe her.

"I'm being honest-"

"No you're not, your eye is twitching, the vein in your neck pulsed ever so slightly at a quickened pace, your voice changed from yesterday as if your trying to force me to believe your words." Rose countered rapidly.

He just stared, jaw dropped. Albus laughed. "Never try to lie to her." he informed the other.

Eric grumbled something about to smart for her own good as he walked away.

The days from there passed on in a slow motion. They learned,Albus fell asleep in classes, Rose threatened to curse him when the teachers back was turned during class if he kept letting his eyes close- and Uncle Neville confronted them in Herbology with one topic in mind; the messy haired annoying one known as James Potter, whom Albus and Rose had just barely escaped from as he was, yet again, attempting to convince them he had nothing to o with the Sorting Prank, as people had started to call it.

"How's the first week been so far?" he asked us as he cornered us.

"Great." Albus answered.

"Boring." Rose amended.

"I see.. Well, what I really wanted to talk to you guys about is James..." Uncle Neville began.

"You can't be serious! We just got rid of the prat!" Rose huffed, but Uncle Neville lifted his hand to silence her.

"Listen, then yell your heads of."

"Fine." they both grumbled, and Uncle Neville grinned.

"Look, James told me he didn't-"

"Of course he told you he didn't, don't tell me you believe him." Albus interrupted. Uncle Neville raised his eyebrows at him in response.

"Let me finish." he told me.

"Sorry." Albus mumbled, turning red.

"As I was saying, James says it wasn't him. Normally, I wouldn't believe him but... Well, next time he comes around, let him explain. I still have my suspicions, and I want you two to find out."

With that, Uncle Neville stood and left without a second word.

"I don't care what he says, me within a five mile radius of James will tear the school down." Rose told me.

"Well.. I don't know..."

"When do you ever?" she teased, and Albus mock glared in response as she laughed.

"What I really want to know is what Uncle Bill was trying to hide from us." Albus changed the subject. "Any ideas?"

Rose looked thoughtful for a second. "Well.. Mum is Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.. But I don't know d you think it could have anything to do with th-"

Just then, a piece of Dragon Dung came flying through the air, which would have hit the back of Rose's head had she not, seemingly by instinct, ducked. Instead, it hit Albus straight in the face.

"Ugh!" Albus tossed it off, the foul smell filling his lungs. His face was covered in the thick brown substance, even as he tried to wipe it off. The class, for the most part, burst out laughing at his expense. Most. Stephen and Damien rushed towards the scene, helping Albus get the stuff off.

"WHO THE BLASTED BLOODY HELL THREW THAT AT ME!" Rose roared as she rounded on the class, once again unleashing her father's diction. Whatever laughter had been present seconds ago died down instantly as the entire class cowered.

"Rose, calm-" Uncle Neville began in a desperate attempt to restore order.

"YOU!" Rose pointed a long, thin finger at Vanessa, her eyes popping out madly.

"I didn't do it!" Vanessa cried as everyone looked to her.

Rose, however, was not deterred by this statement. Pulling out her wand, she began to advance upon the other student.

"Enough!" Uncle Neville called, moving to stand between Rose and her victim. Rose, of course, glared at him. She seemed beyond reasoning. That was the thing with Rose, though. Normally, she was extremely calm. But, once you managed to get her angry...

"SHE TOSSED IT!" Rose hollered at the top of her lungs.

"Get off it, no I didn't!" Vanessa cried.

"I saw you!" Rose accused.

"Your back was turned!" Vanessa exclaimed.

Rose spluttered at this point.

"And how would you know that, exactly?" Albus asked casually, his nose sniffed in disgust, not really at her but at the annoying smell that seemed to refuse to leave his lips.

This time, it was Vanessa's turn to splutter as Uncle Neville turned to her with narrowed eyes.

"Vanessa.. Did you toss the Dragon Dung?" Uncle Neville asked her slowly.

Vanessa glared. "She deserved it, after what her mother-" she began hotly.

"Detention! And I don't want to hear another word against Hermione Weasley, or against Rose. Is that understood?" Uncle Neville demanded.

Vanessa glared at him before she, grudgingly, nodded.

"Good. I will discuss your detention with Professor Branstone." Uncle Neville told her coldy. When he turned around to face Albus and Rose, she made a rude hand gesture at him before turning around and continuing with her work. "Albus, are you alright."

"I'm fine.. Just smells.. Ugh.." Albus responded.

"This might hurt a little.."

"Huh?"

"_Scourgify!_"

The cleaning spell hit Albus before he could blink, causing the foul substance covering his face to dissipate... And it felt like someone was washing his mouth out with soap, which was really uncomfortable. As quick as the feeling had come, it was gone.

"How's that?" Uncle Neville asked.

"Be-" Albus began.

"What did my mum do, Uncle Neville?" Rose asked.

Uncle Neville mysteriously became deaf at this point, and, pretending to hear his name being called from the other end of the classroom, he began to walk in the opposite direction.

So, in annoyance, Rose stamped her foot on the ground.

Vanessa and her friends turned to glare at Rose, but Albus noted that Vanessa sent him an apologetic look, mouthing 'sorry' at him. This, of course, made Albus glare at her. She just sighed and looked away, most likely expecting it.

"Ugh!" Rose cried in her agitation, before turning to Stephen and Damian. Both flinched. Rose stared. "I'm not going to hurt you.." she promised.

"Right.."

"Of course you aren't..."

Rose sighed, shaking her head in exasperation, before she suddenly seemed to remember whatever she was going to ask. "Do either of you know what she was talking about? This is the second time I get yelled at over this."

"No idea." Stephen answered a little too quickly before he, like Uncle Neville, decided running might be a good idea. Rose's jaw dropped as she stared after him.

"I think I best be going.." Damian spoke, also abandoning them.

At this point, Rose literally slammed her head into the table.

"I say we ask Dominique..." Albus said slowly.

Rose glared at him. "And get yelled at again? I'm going to write to mum. And, if she refuses to answer me, there will be _hell _to pay." Rose hissed.

The next day, Rose yet again deployed her endless diction when Aunt Hermione sent her the following letter;

_To My Dear and Wonderful Daughter, Rose,_

_Sweety, it's nothing you need to worry about. Everything is under control. The Wizarding community is.. Well, let's just say they find even minimal changes to be the utmost evil. Everything is alright, I can handle it. There is no need for you to worry._

_Also, remind me to yell at your Uncle Bill. He promised me he'd make sure you didn't see that article._

_Lots of Love, Hermione._

"Why, why, why!" Rose said as she continuously banged her head against the table. Many were those who simply sat there and stared at her, obviously fearing for her sanity. Albus would never admit it out loud, but he was slowly leaning towards their direction at this point.. But, there was no way in hell that he'd abandon his cousin, even if she seemed to be loosing her mind.

"Rose, calm down!" Albus exclaimed, shaking her shoulder.

Rose did calm down.. For about five seconds, before she rose, making her way towards the staff table. Not knowing what else to do, Albus followed. She marched straight to Uncle Bill, who looked at her confused as she advanced on him.

"Rose-" he began.

He didn't finish, because at that point, Rose slammed the letter down right in front of him. "What the hell." she snapped at him.

"That is no language for a lady of your age, Ms. Weasley!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed.

"Of course.. Sorry." Rose apologized through gritted teeth.

Uncle Bill rose from his seat. "Did you read that article?" he demanded.

"And what if I did?" Rose huffed rebelliously.

"If she'd like this now.. Imagine her when she gets to her teenage years..." Nearly-Headless Nick commented casually as he flew bye. Albus snorted and Rose resisted the urge to shudder at the very site of the ghost before he departed.

So, instead, Uncle Bill turned to Albus. "Did either of you read that article?" he demanded.

"No." Albus, ever the honest one, answered without thinking. Rose narrowed her eyes at him for this.

Uncle Bill nodded.

"Good. Now, if you please, I would like to finish my dinner in peace." he informed Rose coldly.

"I'm not leaving until you tell me what was in that article." Rose replied, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

"Detention, Ms. Weasley?" Professor McGonagall spoke curtly.

Rose glared at her, to Albus' amazement, before storming off in the opposite direction. Albus made to follow her, but Uncle Bill called him back.

"Albus.. I want you to make sure she doesn't see that article-" he began.

"Get off it, I'm not going to help you hide stuff from her!" Albus interrupted.

"Let me finish!" Uncle Bill motioned him to silence. "If she see's it.. Well, you know Rose. So, promise me-"

"No. I got hit in the face with _Dragon Dung _over that bloody article-"

"Detention, Potter." McGonagall said coldly.

Albus stared at her. "Why?" he demanded.

"You are 11 years of age. Forbid me for not approving of your swearing. Go." McGonagall replied.

Annoyed, Albus stomped off.

"What did they tell you?" Rose asked as he sat down.

"Uncle bill tried to convince me to help them keep you in the dark, and, when I refused, McGonagall have me detention." Albus sulked into his seat.

Rose stared.

"I'm going to find out what that article was about.. If it's the last thing I do!" she hit her fist on the table.

Albus did not doubt her resolve for a second.


	8. The Incident in Potions

A/N; Well, while this chapter might be shorted than usual, I have decided to step up my work in this story tenfold. I am going to try to at least get one chapter in every one to two days. Mind you, I'll likely fail at this, but.. This needs to be finished so I can move onto the next story, then the one after that, and the one after that, and.. You get the idea.

Thanks goes to Pelahnar who beta'd this.

Anyways, on with the story.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

**The Incident in Potions**

The next few days passed without incident... If you don't count random students, and even a few teachers, randomly sending Rose glares, as if whatever her mother had done was, by effect, her fault as well.

Uncle Neville corned them one day after Herbology.

"What have you found out about James?" he asked us simply.

Albus felt a pang of guilt. He had forgotten all about finding out if his brother had been framed or-

"What have you found out about that article in the Daily Prophet?" Rose said coolly.

Uncle Neville sighed, looking around as if to make sure there ere no eavesdroppers. "I'll make you a deal.." he began.

"Go on." Albus spoke, crossing his tiny scrawny arms over his wiry frame.

"There is a student here, a second year. Theodore Orion Nott. Justin told me he and James have been rivals since their first week here.." Uncle Neville began.

"You want us to find out if he framed James." Rose realized.

"Exactly." Uncle Neville nodded.

"What do we get in return?" Albus asked casually.

Uncle Neville narrowed his eyes. "You get to help your brother. Isn't that enough?" he demanded coldly.

"We want to know what was in that article. We find your info, you tell us what was in the article. Deal?" Rose negotiated.

"Excuse me? Are you ordering me around?" Uncle Neville huffed at us. Of course, being Uncle Neville, he wasn't about to loose his cool. Not yet, anyways. He was one of the calmer ones in the 'family'.

"No, we're simply offering you a deal. We compensate, you compensate. Everybody wins." Albus responded.

"Fine.. I'll show you the article, but you have to find out if Theo framed James." Uncle Neville conceded grudgingly.

"How do we find him?" Rose asked.

"Scorpius Malfoy. He's a classmate of your's, if I'm not mistaken.."

The two nodded.

"Nott is Malfoy's cousin. That's all I have for you. Mind you, your parents could have solved this mystery with their hands tied behind their backs, so.." Uncle Neville trailed off.

"Deal." Rose held out her hand.

Uncle Neville took it, and they shook.

A few days later, the pair sat together during Potions class. Malfoy, elusive as ever, seemed to be avoiding them at every turn. Could he possibly know something, or was it just coincidence he disappeared every time they tried to approach him? Professor Bane was walking up and down the aisle, criticizing absolutely everyone's work.

"Zabini, what is this?" he snapped at one Slytherin boy, before turning to Eric Evans. "I was under the impression you were instructed to construct a basic Burn Ointment, not a cauldron full of mud." Bane stated cruelly.

But, on the bight side, thought Albus, at least Bane didn't choose favori-

"Good work, Lestrange. A fine potion." Bane beamed at her. Albus glanced into the cauldron. The potion was a sick shade of magenta, despite the instructions stating that the potion should have turned sky-blue by this point.

"What is this, Potter?" Bane snarled at Albus, glancing down into his potion, which had assumed a shade of deep blue.

"Following the instructions?" Albus responded innocently, holding up his potions book. Bane snatched it from his grip, examining the page.

"Idiot boy, these are the instructions for creating the Boil Cure Draught, not the Burn Ointment!" Bane said impatiently.

"What?" Albus gasped, staring down at the book as Bane shoved it back into his hands. He could have sworn it had said 'Burn Ointment' just a second ago, but now, all it stated was 'Boil Cure Draught'. "I don't..." Albus began.

"Evanesco!" Professor Bane interrupted him, and, with a casual wave of his wand, he vanished Albus' potion.

Albus gasped then glared at the other, who mumbled something about idiot first years before moving on.

Maria Anna smirked at Albus, who, as result, looked at her suspiciously. He glanced back down at the potions book. Same page, same instructions, different title at the top...

Albus looked up and narrowed his eyes at the girl. Maria Anna, however, was no longer looking at him. Instead, she was happily chatting with her fellow Slytherin, Victoria Dare. When Albus glanced back down to the potions book, it once more said Boil Cure Draught..

"I think she messed with my potions book.." Albus muttered to Rose, nudging his head in Maria Anna's direction.

"Why would she do that?" Rose frowned.

Albus shrugged.

Rose looked up at him, before glancing at Maria Anna. Rose glared. The other girl smiled sweetly in response before returning to her potion.

Rose looked at her suspiciously.

"I think so too-" she began.

Suddenly, their skulls were shoved together.

"Ow!" they both cried.

"Back to work!" Bane snapped at the two of them.

Both quickly resumed their potions work, Albus starting all over again as Rose added her finishing touches..

"Just a bit or wormwood, and.." she was saying, ready to drop the last ingredient in.

Wormwood.. Wormwood.

"Don't!" Albus exclaimed, but it was too late. That had been the ingredient his potions book had said to use on the Boil Cure Draught. He had no idea how it might react to Rose's potion, though, who had so far done everything with brilliant Granger perfectionism.

She dropped the last ingredient in.. And the potion promptly exploded. All over them.

Rose shrieked and gave out a short scream as she stood, boils and flaming red pimples erupting all over her face. The class froze for a second, before several of the students burst out laughing.

"Idiot girl!" Bane snapped, whisking his way over to them.

With a wave of his wand, he vanished the sour potion, before snatching the book away before either of them could touch it. He glanced down on the page, his eyes narrowing with each second. He lifted his wand, then tapped the book.

"Someone..." he began very slowly and menacingly. "Has tampered with this book." he slammed it down with considerable force then looked around at every single student, his dark eyes dancing menacingly. "When I find out who.. I don't care if you're in my house or in Gryffindor, I don't care.. I will personally make sure that your school career from this point on a living hell. Now, does anyone want to confess? The consequences shall be much less severe if you come forward now.."

No one spoke. In fact, they were all terrified, after that speech. Professor Bane seemed to have a way of instilling fear into the heart of the beholder.

Bane glanced around one last time. Still, no one came forward.

Swiftly, he turned back to Albus and Rose.

"Both of you, to the Hospital Wing." he commanded.

Albus nodded, then, placing an arm around Rose, he proceeded to drag the girl. So, of course, she smacked him, picked up her bag, shot a suspicious glare at Maria Anna, and stormed off. Albus, having nothing else to do, followed after her.

"Rose!" he called.

She ignored him, her feet crashing down on the stone with force as she quickened her pace, practically running through the halls. Albus panted slightly before he broke into a run to catch up. Noticing, Rose broke into a full run as well.

Soon, the pair were chasing each other, or rather, Albus was chasing after Rose, all over the school.

"Where are you-" Albus began.

But his question was answered when Rose entered not into the Hospital Wing, but instead, into the Defense classroom.

Uncle Bill was sitting at his desk at the end of the room, jotting down notes and probably planning for his next class when Rose burst into the room, her boil covered face livid. He glanced up at her, then at Albus who shot in after her, shock evident on his face. Then he noticed the boils running down Rose's face, and he gasped slightly.

"Rose, what-" he began as he rose from his chair.

Rose interrupted him by walking straight up to him, and doing something only Rose Weasley would dare do to her Uncle. She slapped him. Hard.

"I don't know what was in that bloody article.." she began heatedly, and Albus thought he heard Uncle Bill mutter something about Ron needing to swear less, "but ever since it came out, everyone, and I mean everyone has been attempting to make my life a living hell!" she thundered.

"Well.." Uncle Bill began casually. "First of all.. Stop swearing, calm down a bit, I am your elder-"

She slapped him again. Or at least, she tried to, before her hand was caught in the grip of the older man, who held it firmly.

"Let me go!" she snapped, attempting to hit him with her other hand. This, too, Uncle Bill caught.

"Rose!" Albus gasped, before attempting to pull her off as she tried her best to assault her Uncle.

"Let-me-go!" she growled between breaths, before kicking Albus.. Right where it hurts. Being male, Albus gasped, fell backwards, and gripped at his nether regions in pain.

"Rose, calm down!" Uncle Bill shouted.

Rose snatched her hands away from his grip, backed away, and glared dangerously at him.

"Ow." Albus muttered.

Rose shot him a quick look, then shot him an apologetic look when she realized where her foot had.. Connected. Then she swiveled back to face her Uncle, growling menacingly at him.

Uncle Bill stared.

"I didn't realize you were part tiger.." he spoke.

Albus laughed and Rose shot him a quick glare as result before rounding back on her Uncle.

"I want to see that article." she demanded.

"You want to see the article." Uncle Bill repeated politely.

"Yes." she restated.

"Very well."

Albus shot him a confused look. After all that, it was going to be that easy? He didn't buy it..

"This way." Uncle Bill told Rose politely. The redhead nodded. Uncle Bill shot a fleeting look at Albus, deciding quickly, before waving him over as well. Suspicion in his eyes, Albus followed.

Uncle Bill led them into his office, before opening a strange second door at the end, beckoning the two first years to pass through. Once they did so, he promptly shut the door behind them..

"Uncle Bill!" Rose screamed, anger flashing in her eyes as she rounded now on the door.. Which no longer existed. In its place was plain wall. Albus looked around, and realized they were back outside in the hall.

Yup, too good to be true.

Rose hissed angrily, kicked the wall hard(wincing in pain as a result), before turning around, covering her face with her hands. She slumped up against the wall, and tears began to run down her cheeks in flowing waterfalls.

Albus looked around nervously. Like his father before him, he had absolutely no idea what to do when a girl broke down in front of him. Thinking it best, he moved next to Rose, slumped down next to her, and awkwardly placed an arm around his cousin's shoulder.

She gave out a miserable moan, leaning into the embrace slightly and crying more.

"It's just.. Just not.. Just not fair!" she cried.

"Life isn't fair." Albus replied stupidly.

She elbowed him, stood, glared, then stormed off.

Albus sighed, lifting himself off the ground as he watched her red hair wave in the air behind her as she went who knows where.

All because of Maria Anna. But not just Maria Anna. That Hufflepuff, Vanessa. Their own cousin, Dominique, in Ravenclaw. The snakes, the badgers, and the eagles, all mad. At something Aunt Hermione did.

That apparently landed in the Daily Prophet..

And, for some odd reason, no one wanted to tell them.

Which was really, really getting annoying...

Albus groaned slumped up back against the wall, wondering what the hell was going on..


	9. Broomsticks and Wands

A/N; This chapter has not been Beta'd! This is not because my beta is too lazy, but because I decided to post it up before she even got a look at it. This entire thing is written off Google Docs, and, as she has not come online, I decided to just plain put it up.

Mind you all, I was being serious when I said I was going to start posting chapters at an accelerated rate.

I guess the length of this chapter makes up for the shortness of the last.

Anyways, on with the story.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

**Broomsticks and Wands**

Things were tense from that point onward. Rose refused to even look at Albus. In fact, she fell so deeply into her work that she seemed to loose all life.

She didn't smile anymore.

She didn't get angry anymore.

She didn't even speak anymore.

When others did something to her, she accepted it without a second thought, and didn't even try to fight back. When someone took her bag, tossed it, then stomped on it, she did nothing. She just smiled, picked up the bag, and walked away without a word.

Albus was really starting to get worried..

One day, she was sitting in the library, calmly doing her homework. Always doing homework, or sleeping. That was the life of Rose Weasley. He sat down next to her, slipping into the vacant seat beside her. She pretended not to notice.

"Rose.." Albus spoke after a prolonged silence.

She feigned deafness.

"Rose.." Albus repeated.

Again, he was ignored. Albus sighed, leaned his head against the seat, and gave out a low groan.

"What do you want?" Rose demanded coldly, not even looking up from her work as she leaned over it, her nose practically dug into the paper she was scribbling on furiously.

Albus jumped, not having herd the girl speak in over a week. Recovering himself, he replied. "I want you to start acting normal again." he said.

Rose just shot him a cold look before turning back to her work.

"I am acting normal. Now, leave me alone." she snapped.

Albus stood, fire in his eyes. "What if I don't?" he demanded defiantly.

She shrugged unimportant.

"Aren't you going to make me?" Albus demanded.

"No." she responded, not looking up from her essay.

Albus hit the table. Hard. "This isn't you!" he hissed.

"I beg to differ." Rose replied.

"Stop acting so weird.. I want my cousin back!" Albus exclaimed.

At this point, Rose seemed to decide ignoring her cousin might be a fun idea. Albus sighed, then walked away. She looked up, watching his departing form, a single tear slipping from her eyes. Then, the 11 year old girl turned back to the essay in her hands, and, without a word, she continued on.

* * *

><p>"James!" Albus called. His brother was the last person he wanted to go to, but..<p>

"Yes?" James looked up, before quickly hiding a piece of parchment he and Justin had been writing on from Albus' view.

Albus raised a single delicate eyebrow but decided it best not to ask.

"It's Rose. She's been acting.. Strange." Albus decided to put it.

James leaned back in his chair, crossing his fingers.

"How so.. Mr. Bond?" he asked casually.

"What?" Albus stared at him in confusion as Justin snorted.

"I've been expecting you." James continued.

"I think you have it backwards.." Justin 'whispered' to James.

"Eh." James shrugged, his eyes never leaving Albus.

"Okay.." Albus spoke slowly, having no idea what the pair were even talking about. "Anyways.. I want to know if either of you know about that article in the Daily Prophet."

"The Prophet?" Justin began.

"Who would read that?" James continued.

"Complete rubbish." they said in complete unison.

Albus groaned.

"Here." James pulled the article, from within his robes. A picture of Aunt Hermione lay across the front page. It showed her standing before a podium, giving some passionate declaration.

Eagerly, Albus reached out for it.. When James shifted it from the other's reach and slipped it back into his robes.

"Hey!" Albus exclaimed.

"If you want it, you're going to have to do a little something for us." Justin spoke casually.

Albus narrowed his eyes dangerously at the pair of them. "What kind of.. 'Something'?" he asked slowly.

James and Justin grinned at each other, and, at that moment, Albus was sure they had planned this from the beginning. He wouldn't be surprised if they were behind him and Rose not being able to get anywhere near a copy of the prophet, now that he thought about it... This only caused him to narrow his eyes further.

"Just a little.. Job we need done." James smiled innocently.

"Forget it." Albus snarled, backing away from the two.

"If you insist.." Justin spoke.

"Off with you, then." James waved him off, once more pulling the article from his robes, before proceeding to use it to shoo Albus away.

Albus glared death at his brother before turning and walking away, quiet furious. Didn't they understand? Didn't they understand that he needed to see that article? Of course, the answer was that they did understand, which was exactly the reason why they were holding it over his head.

He swore, James would have made a perfect Slytherin.. Of course, saying it out loud might result in Albus' death, so he chose the smart choice and stayed silent about it.

Uncle Bill began to ignore them. He helped them in class, but did the annoying adult thing when Albus questioned him about the article. Rose didn't even try. She was just there. A silent addition to everything around her.

Albus kept trying to talk to her. She ignored him. It antagonized him to no end. He wanted to help her, but she wouldn't let him. She refused to let him. Damn stubborn Weasleys.. All of them were thickheaded to the point that Albus just wanted to tear his hair out of his skull. Of course, the fact that he was just the same somehow managed to never factor itself into the young boy's thoughts.

Soon, something new came to distract Albus early in October. Flying lessons. Of course, he already knew how to fly on a broom. He, James, and Lily had managed to sneak mum's old Holyhead Harpies' broom out one night, and had each taken turns on it. Of course, this nearly resulted in their deaths, but that was what made it all the more exciting.

They were having tryouts with the Ravenclaws. Apparently, after years of the Slytherins and Gryffindors practically attempting to murder each other, it had been mutually decided that the two separate groups should be kept apart from one another.

The lone event seemed to cause a strange spark of emotion to light into Rose's eyes. She was worried. Whether it was the concept of flying, or someone attempting to pull a stunt on her while she was susceptible and on a broomstick, Albus didn't know.

They gathered outside in the courtyard the next day, old school brooms lines up everywhere along the ground. Apparently, education funds, as always, were too low and the brooms looked older than Great Aunt Muriel, who was well over a hundred years old.. And still complaining and gossiping with the vitality of a teenager.

The way Jacob Night boasted, you'd think he was born flying a broom stick straight over London.

"My name is Oliver Wood, I will be your flight instructor." Coach Wood spoke as he walked about, his hands crossed behind his back. His right eye was a deep brown, but it was nothing compared to his left. It was empty, not seeing, pale and dead. A single thin scar ran down it, but the rest of his face was cheerful and full of life. A few people stared rudely, Albus included, until Rose kicked him and gave him a very sharp look. "Ahh.. This." Coach Wood grinned at them as he pointed to his blind eye. "Lost it here, actually.." he motioned to the castle, causing the students all to gasp. "But that's another story. Now, I want you each to stand above your respective brooms and shout up!" he ordered.

They did so, and Albus wondered silently where that scar came from. Then again, Wood wasn't the only teacher with battle wounds like that. If you looked closely, McGonagall had a very subtle gash running sideways through her cheek. And Uncle Bill did have those werewolf scars.. And, once, Albus had even noticed faint words on the back of Uncle George's hands that read I must not prank. Albus asked him about it, but Uncle George refused to tell him and pretended Albus had invented the whole thing up.. In other words, he acted like the typical adult. Aunt Hermione had a think scar on her neck, and once, Albus had even caught a glimpse of something on her arm before she covered it up. Albus stopped the thoughts then and there, this was not something he wanted to think about, about his family being hurt so he focused on the safer things; not crashing.

"Up!" the students chanted. Albus' broom jumped into his hands with ease. He smirked, proudly with just a touch or arrogance behind the frame. Rose huffed in annoyance when her broom went half way up, before falling back down. The only other student who's broom went up as quickly as Albus' was a Ravenclaw boy who's name he didn't know. He had dark eyes and hair, which contrasted the pale skin, and a slightly Asian look.

Coach Wood beamed at the two of them. "Good job Potter, Carmichael." he approved.

There was a renewed round of ups from the crowd. Savannah Nest's broom refused to rise, or even roll at all. Eric's rolled a little, rose half an inch, then fell back down, causing him to curse under his breath. Jacob's, despite his boasting, rose hallway up then stayed there as he concentrated, trying to bring it all the way up. They all chanted again, and those who had brooms that simply refused to listen picked it up whilst Coach Wood's back was turned.

"Okay now, take your brooms like this, and mount them. Careful now!" Coach Wood called.

Albus was eager to get of the ground already, and was annoyed at having to wait as everyone else was slow on the uptake. Only the other boy, Carmichael, was as quick on the uptake as he was.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard." said Coach Wood. "Keep your brooms steady now, rise above a few feet, then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle — three — two — one!"

They rose into the air with ease. Albus wanted to kick of, he wanted to soar the skies, but he was apparently not allowed to do that(evil teachers).

The rest of the lesson was rather peaceful. It ended, to Albus delight, with Coach Wood giving him, Rose, Jacob and Carmichael permission for a quick race, since they were the only ones who were any good at it. They kicked of, from one end to the other, zooming as quickly as they could. Albus shouted in delight, neck in neck with Rose.

For the first time in nearly three weeks, she was actually smiling, grinning from ear to ear. As much as she had been afraid of getting anywhere near a broomstick, now that she was actually up in the air, she loved it.

Neither of them noticed Carmichael and Jacob taking a shortcut, and they cursed when they found the pair at the finish line, grinning up at them cheekily.

"That was fun." Rose laughed as she landed.

"So.. Does this mean you aren't mad at me anymore?" Albus asked her slowly.

And so begins the glaring. Rose huffed, turned to look the other way, and marched of, her nose in the air. Albus sighed. Weasley pride.

The next day, they sat silently in Trasfiguration. Rose was locked somewhere between a state of ignoring Albus and responding to every little thing he said. Every time he asked her a question, she seemed to forget she was suppose to be mad at him and would respond to him automatically, before remembering her anger and looking the other way.

Professor Verus had them transforming needles into matches. A relatively 'simple' spell, as he put it, the process involved lifting one's wand over a small metallic needle and casting endless incantations upon it while concentrating their best on turning metal into wood. Yes. Very simple. Very simple indeed. Stupid adults!

"Ms. Nott has done it!" Professor Verus suddenly exclaimed after twenty minutes into the savage battle of wills between students and metal that refused to be transfigured.. They all turned as a girl with slightly wavy dark brown hair that went a single one inch past her shoulders and bangs that swoop to her side, with dark blue eyes with flecks of dark brown embedded within them lifted up a perfect match to the class. Professor Verus tapped it with the end of his wand and it became a lit with bright purple flames. Beside Albus, Rose seemed to be resisting the urge to glare, a sign that she was returning to her old self. She hated being undone in anything.

"Good one Tabitha!" Scorpius Malfoy clapped her on the back.

"That's Scorpius."Albus muttered to Rose.

"So?" she asked in an annoyed tone, forgetting she was suppose to be ignoring him.

"The guy who might have framed James is his cousin." Albus reminded her. Anything to get her mind of that article.

"You just want to get closer to that girl." she teased.

Albus' cheeks went red. "No, Uncle Neville wanted us to find out if James was framed."

"Uh huh, right." she said smugly. Stupid Rose and that stupid 'how to tell if someone wasn't being entirely honest' book.

"I'm serious!" Albus informed her, his cheeks flushed crimson.

She just rolled her eyes in response. Albus narrowed his eyes, causing her to laugh and shake her head in amusement.

"What if Uncle Neville just wanted us to find out if James was framed or not to keep us from trying to find out what that article was about?" she mused as they entered the Charms classroom.

"I wouldn't put it past him, but I have a feeling its not that cynical." Albus replied, silently thrilled she was talking to him again. "So.. You're not mad at me?" he asked.

She sighed. "I was never mad at you, you idiot." she snapped without any heat. Albus looked at her confused, but she chose not to elaborate. He would never, as long as he lived, understand women...

Professor Flitwick's lesson wasn't long. He thought them to levitate objects. In the end, it became a competition between Albus and Scorpius Malfoy to see who could hold it the longest while Rose stood beside Albus, doing her best not to get jealous at being out done a second time in the same day.

Out of nowhere, Albus slipped on the ground as if the carpet had been taken out from under his feet and fell, hard, onto the stone beneath him. Damian and Stephen managed to catch him in time before his head hit the floor.

"I win, Potter." Scorpius said smugly as Albus' feather fell to the floor.

"Excellent Charm work, 10 points to Slytherin Mr. Malfoy." Professor Flitwick squeaked. He was a small teacher, smaller than anyone in the room even. Albus wasn't sure, but he had a nagging suspicion he wasn't fully human, just in the same way Hagrid wasn't fully human.

"I slipped. Rematch." Albus complained.

"Mr. Malfoy won fairly. I'm sorry, Mr. Potter, but I can't just bend the rules." Professor Flitwick informed him. Albus cursed under his breath in annoyance.

"Look.." Rose told him, and pointed towards Tabitha, who was trying to hold in a giggle, her wand out.

"What?" Albus asked, confused.

"She cast a slipping charm on the floor, you idiot." Rose informed him. Albus' jaw dropped. Tabitha met his gaze and burst out laughing, earning his glare.

"She made me slip."

"Of course she did, genius." Rose rolled her eyes. Albus turned to her.

"Okay, whatever, doesn't matter." he said.

"No use lying to me, when will you ever learn?" she asked smugly.

"Anyways, we have to find this 'Theodore Orion Nott' kid. And find out if he knows anything." he decided changing the subject might be a fun idea. Stupid Rose and her stupid intuition.

"Do you really think he'll tell us anything?"

"No.." Albus began, a smirk coming onto his lips as an idea popped into his head.

"What?" she asked, noticing the mischievous glint Albus got every time he came up with an idea.

"Follow my lead.." he told her, turning and moving towards Malfoy, who was chatting with his other Slytherin friends. They turned as they saw us approach.

"You cast a slipping charm on the floor." Albus accused Tabitha.

"Me? Never!" she scoffed in an unconvincing fashion.

"What? Tabitha.." Scorpius rounded on her.

"I didn't." she denied, while trying to contain a giggle. Albus didn't even need Rose to tell him Tabitha was being dishonest. The girl was a terrible liar when confronted straight up.

Scorpius narrowed his eyes at her, then he turned to me. "So sorry, I didn't-"

"He's not sorry." Rose interrupted.

"Yes, I am." Scorpius snapped in annoyance.

"Don't try lying to her, she can spot a liar a mile away." Albus told Scorpius flatly. "But that's besides the point, we wanted to talk to you about something else."

"What?" he asked, and, in Albus' opinion, in a tone far too eager to change the subject.

"My brothers little prank during the Sorting Ceremony." Albus said.

"I thought it was awesome!" Nico de Altar exclaimed. Rose and Albus exchanged a look, thinking the same thing; they were sure this Slytherin would get along well with Damian..

"Anyways, the staff think he was framed." Albus continued.

"And you're telling me this why?" Scorpius asked.

"They think it was your cousin." Rose said bluntly.

"What! My brother would never!" Tabitha snapped.

"That's what we heard, not what we think." Albus told her.

"She's not being entirely honest, she's not sure." Rose whispered in her cousin's ear.

"You take it from here." Albus whispered back. She nodded.

"You're not to sure about that, are you?" Rose questioned.

"Of course we are!" Scorpius and Tabitha both snapped in unison, though Tabitha's was a little slower. Rose's eyes narrowed.

"No, you're not, you hesitated for just a second to answer." Rose pointed out.

Tabitha turned red.

"Stop playing mind game with my cousin!" Scorpius snarled.

"Shut it, Malfoy!" Rose seemed on the verge of exploding. Maybe holding everything in for three weeks hadn't been such a good idea after all..

"Hey, calm down guys." Nico stepped in between them as they looked ready to pounce on one another.

"Your cousins guilty. Trust me, we'll find out if he is. We're fair enough to warn you. Come on Rose." I spoke firmly. He and Rose turned to leave.

"Wait!" Scorpius called.

"What?" Albus asked, looking back at the other.

"Wizards Duel. Tonight. Library. We'll see who's the better wizard of the two of us, fair and square." he added a glare at his cousin at the last words. She shot him a guilty look but did not stand down.

"Albus, no!" Rose said.

"Or, if your too scared.." Scorpius trailed off.

"I'm coming." Albus said venomously.

"Good." he smirked.

"Al!" Rose hissed.

"When?" Albus asked, ignoring his cousin just as she had been ignoring him all week.. For three weeks.

"Midnight. Be there." with that, he turned and left.

"You're not going." Rose said.

"Try and stop me." Albus told her.

She gave him her best glare, but Albus wasn't about to back down and let Malfoy think he was better than him. Malfoy was going down, tonight. And he was going to go down hard.

"Al-"

"Lets find Victoire." Albus interrupted.

"Why?" she questioned, now confused.

"Because, I want to know what was in that article. Dom wont tell us, but-"

"You idiot, do you really think she'll say anything?" Rose asked.

"Worth a try."

"Your just trying to distract me." she accused.

"No I'm not."

"Albus Severus Potter, when will you ever learn not to try and lie to me?" she demanded.

Albus turned red and grinned in a guilty fashion.

"Its probably a trap, I doubt he'll show."

Albus had to admit, she had a point. "You might be right.."

"Don't go."

"Fine, whatever."

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. Huh, maybe Albus should get James to teach him how to properly lie to her. Then again, Albus was still angry at his brother. Until he was absolutely sure whether or not James had been framed as he claimed, Albus wasn't going to let go of that anger. Potter and Weasley stubbornness combined.

Okay. Stay up until 11:30. Check. Get up without waking dorm mates. Check. Sneak out of the room and make my way down to the common room. Check. Sneak out before Rose could notice. Che- Albus listed each within his head/

"Al, I swear I will curse you."

Damn it! Albus turned, and there she was, sitting beside a dying fire, in her pajamas. Red messy curls falling down to her shoulder, sparkling blue shinning with fire.

"Rose, go to bed." Albus snapped at her. He really was not in the mood for this. Who was she to tell him what to do, after ignoring him for so long?

"No, you're not going, you idiot." she snared. Her red hair was messy, which made Albus aware of the fact that she'd just gotten up. She must have been waiting for him, patiently, like the sleeping dragon ready to pounce open the prey.

"Try and stop me." Albus hallenged.

She raised eyebrow at this, then drew her wand.

"Umbarus!" Albus shouted. From his wand sprang darkness, a shadow swallowing at the light. A trick James had 'showed' him during the summer, if having a spell cast on you repeatably to leave you blind to everything around you counts as 'showing'.

"Albus!" Rose shrieked from the darkness that surrounded her as Albus turned and ran for it. He ducked through the portrait hole, Rose right behind him. "Albus Severus Potter, get back here!"

Albus turned. "Rose, just stop."

"No, back in the common room. You're just going to get yourself in trouble!"

"You go, I'll be fine."

"Naive.." she said, annoyed. "Fine, your choi-" she turned, then cussed loudly.

"Uh, Rose?"

"The Fat Lady is gone! She must have gone for a midnight stroll or something with Violet."

"Who?" Albus asked, confused.

She turned to glare, as if it where all his fault- which, technically, it was.

"The friend she goes of and gets drunk with. I'm coming with you."

"Oh, now you wanna come?" Albus huffed.

She rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't have let you go alone anyways, you idiot. I might not like it, but someone has to watch your back. Come on, lets get it over with."

That kinda surprised Albus, but he supposed it shouldn't have, not really. Rose was the kind of person that would always have your back- even if she had an annoying way of showing it.

The pair sneaked around, past snoring painting on our way to the library. They found the doors wide open. Albus thought it was sort off odd, but walked in anyways. There was no sign of Scorpius, yet. Albus checked my watch. It was five fast twelve.

"You're late." a voice drawled.

They turned to see him standing there, in the shadows, leaning against the walls, his arms crossed. Next to him was the boy Albus and Rose thought would get along nicely with Damian, Nico.

"You showed up." Rose said, sounding surprised.

"Of course I did! I said I would, didn't I?" Scorpius snapped as he stood. Her face flushed Weasley red in anger.

"Shut it before I hurt you, Malfoy!"

"Try it then, have a go!"

"Guys, stop flirting." Nico laughed. They glared at him.

"We're not flirting!" they both snarled, blushing.

"Right..." Albus said slowly as if talking to a five year old. Rose smacked him upside the head, causing him to laugh.

"Shh, any much louder and we'll get caught!" Nico reminded us.

"Sorry." Albus said as he calmed down. Then, he shot one last look at Rose and burst out laughing again. She had a scarlet brush running down her cheeks, with her eyes narrowed dangerously. Anyone else would have cowered, but Albus guess he was just crazy enough to laugh in the face of certain death.

"Let's do this." Scorpius interrupted him.

"Right." Albus replied, suddenly serious and taking a stance.

"On three."

"One." Albus said.

"Two." he said.

"Three!" they shouted together.

"Rictumseptra!"

"Vermillious!"

The spells collided in the air, sparks flying everywhere. Albus dodged under a table, holding his wand at the ready.

"Scared, Potter?" Scorpius demanded from who knows where.

"In you dreams, Malfoy!" Albus snapped as he turned and shot out a jinx.

"Idiots." Rose was heard from the distance.

"I told him that, but he wouldn't listen." Nico's voice trailed over them all with a noteable sigh.

Albus searched around, trying to find the other, when saw it- the edge of Scorpius' robe, barely visible in the moon light coming from the windows, behind a book shelf. Albus pointed my wand at it.

"Come on, Malfoy! Or are you ready to admit I'm better!" Albus challenged.

"Everte Statum!" Scorpius shouted, but from where Albus was looking- it came from his left. Albus barely managed to dodge the jinx as it crashed into a bookshelf, tossing aside some of the books there.

"Stop!" Rose growled at the pair of them.

Albus stood. He and Scorpius glared at each other. Together, they lifted out their wands.

"Flipendo!" they both shouted. The blue lights clashed in the air, sending sparks everywhere, lighting some of the fallen paper on fire..

"Idiots!" Rose shouted as it spread, one of the book shelf burning. "Aguamenti!" she shouted, but the flames refused to die.

"What- who! Who's in here!" they heard Madam Pince snarling.

They all shared a look, before turning and running as fast their feet could carry them, right out the door. Hopefully, Madam Pince wouldn't find them. A couple of staircases later, they stopped, exhausted.

"That.. was..." Scorpius muttered.

"Your both mental." Rose snapped.

Albus and Scorpius shared a look.

"Brilliant!" they grinned at each other as both Rose and Nico looked at us a little weirdly. The two high-fived.

"You almost light us one fire.. You burn half the library down.. We have to run for our lives. And you call that brilliant?" Rose demanded.

"Yes." they laughed.

"Boys.." she shook her head, her eyes dancing dangerously.

"So, draw?" Scorpius asked.

"Draw." Albus agreed.

"And he calls me weird." Nico mumbled to Rose, who was not in a laughing mood.

"Lets get out of here before Mr. Gale finds us." she said simply.

"Who?" I asked.

"The caretaker. He'll probably get the ghosts on us if he can't find us. Next time, I'll win." Scorpius smirked.

"Next time!" Rose and Nico exclaimed.

Albus and Scorpius grinned, and they face palmed.

Finally, they decided to take a look around. They seemed to be in a corridor Albus had never seen before, and he spent his free time exploring the castle. They waled forward a bit, lost. "Where are we?" Albus asked.

"How am I suppose to know?" Rose countered.

"You already know everything else." Albus pointed out, causing her to roll her eyes.

"Oh, Al.. What am I gonna do with you.." she sighed dramatically.

"Ah, shut it." Albus told her, at which she laughed.

The corridor was dark. The suits of armor seemed to be almost glaring at them all as they walked by. It made Albus feel uncomfortable, very uncomfortable. The shadows seemed to leap up at them from every corner. Unlike the rest of the castle, there where no paintings. They passed along the only thing that seemed to be hanging on the walls at all, a giant tapestry. In the center was a man, surrounded by trolls wearing ballerina outfits, hitting him with their clubs.

Albus laughed. "Her, Rose, look!" he pointed. Scorpius and Nico joined him, both snorting at the image before them. She didn't reply. "Rose?" Albus turned to look at her, and her face pale as she stared forward, transfixed.

"Run." she said quickly.

"Wha-?"

"Shut up Al!" she hissed in a whisper, her eyes still fixed ahead. They all followed her gaze and almost toppled over. A thick, dragon like tail coiled around the body of a sleeping grey goat, except it wasn't a goat- the head was that of a sleeping lion, with his eyes lazily closed, snoring ever so lightly in its sleep, fire springing from its nostrils when it gave a small sneeze. A chimera. A chimera was sitting in the middle of the hall. What the hell.

Albus stumbled as he moved away slowly, and the two eyes opened quickly, with red, demonic irises lined with black staring blankly at the floor as the creature lifted its head at the four children, becoming aware that four tasty students had just happened to walk into his dominion. It snarled, opening its great maw, causing Albus' instincts to flare.

He turned to Rose and tackled her to the ground as fire shot past them. Scorpius managed to do the same to Nico as the flame broke it's path across the corridor. The chimera growled at them as it advanced. Albus turned, lifting his wand.

"Albus, what the hell are you-"

"Umbarus!" darkness sprung from his wand, absorbing the light. "Come on!" Albus pulled Rose to her feet as Scorpius hauled Nico up and they all ran as fast as their feet could carry them, the chimera snarling as flame ripped through the magical shadows Albus had created, the beast advancing as it finally spotted its lunch. Albus turned to look one last time as the creature howled, turned to see what was keeping it from charging at them. A chain wrapped around its legs, strong powerful heavy chains that bound him, a few feet from the tapestry.

They ended up in the Entrance Hall, out of breath, tired and beaten.

"What... The hell.. Was that..." Scorpius panted.

"Chimera." Rose gasped.

"Why is it in a school?" Albus growled.

"I don't know.. But that was amazing!" Nico cheered, his face flushed with color and excitement.

They all stared at him. MENTAL.

"That was the seventh floor corridor!" Albus suddenly realized. The others stared. "The one we aren't suppose to go in?"

"Oh!" the same realization suddenly struck them.

"It must be guarding something.." Scorpius inferred.

"But what?" Rose asked.

"How should I bloody know?" the Slytherin responded.

Rose glared at him.

"Guys.. I think we should just get to bed." Nico interrupted them.

"I agree." Albus added.

Rose glared at the three boys, then stormed off.

"How in Merlin's name do you put up with her?" Scorpius asked.

"Leave my cousin alone!" Albus hissed at him. Scorpius lifted his hands in mock surrender. Albus sighed. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." both boys uttered, before Albus walked off, chasing after his cousin.

By the time he got back to the common room, Rose was gone. Albus sighed and made his way to his own room. The chimera had downright terrified him.. Why was it here? What was it guarding? Why was it allowed anywhere near the students?

All these thoughts rolling around in his skull, Albus went to bed. It gave him an odd resolve the next morning, for when he rose, he went straight to James.

"Yes?" the other looked up casually.

"I want to see that article." Albus said bluntly.

"And what are you willing to do for it?" Justin asked looking up at the other.

"Just tell me what you want me to do." Albus snapped.

James grinned and leaned back. "Well, it's actually quiet simple..." he began.

* * *

><p>Umbarus; Umbara is Latin for shadow(the only one I made up in this chapter)<p>

Rictumsceptra; Tickling Jinx

Vermillious; charm that shoots out sparks

Everte Statum; tosses person back as if 'hit by a frying pan'

Flipendo; knockback jinx

Aguamenti; water conjuring charm


	10. James Potter, I Hate You

A/N; Well, I was originally going to toss out the scene at the end since I thought it didn't work out to well in my last fic, but I decided to post it back in.

I've sort of changed what attacked her, though. It's still a shapeshifter, but it's not who I originally planned. To be blunt, I've mad it something slightly worse. Or terrible worse, depending on your opinion.

What the thing is will be explained later on.

Anyways, thanks goes to Pelahnar who beta'd this.

On with the story.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

**James Potter, I Hate You**

Albus stared at the other. Silence. No words.

"You can't be serious." Albus spat.

"Sirius is my middle name." James smirked.

Albus backed away. "No."

"Yes." James smiled.

"If you want this." Justin waved the article meticulously before Albus' eyes.

That's when Albus simply snapped.

"Have you seen Rose? Have you seen the way she keeps breaking down all over the place, the pranks people keep pulling on her, how everyone treats her like crap? How the hell can you use that article to blackmail me? What kind of brother are you?" Albus demanded hotly.

Tears had begun to gush down his cheeks.

James seemed to deflate slightly. He stood, and tried to embrace Albus. The other hit him away.

"Look. Listen to me..." James whispered as Albus turned, refusing to even look at his brother.

"Why should I?" Albus spat in a very child-like voice.

"Look, I'm not just doing this for kicks. I'm not just keeping this from you because I want to, or because I'm a bad brother. Just trust me on this one, please Al..."

Albus turned and simply stared silently.

"Mum said not to..."

"Well, mum isn't here!" James exclaimed.

"It's dangerous..."

"So was taking mum's old Firebolt when she wasn't looking." James reminded him.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Albus groaned.

"Do you trust me?" James asked simply. Albus stared at him and Justin snorted.

"Mate, I don't even trust you." Justin had to add in.

James turned and just shot the other a cold look, making him shut up before James turned back to Albus.

"Do you trust me?" he repeated.

"Is that a trick question?" Albus asked earnestly.

Justin, at this point, fell out of his seat. James glared at the other as he laughed loudly, before turning back to his little brother. "I'm being serious."

"So am I."

"Justin, I swear, if you don't stop laughing-"

"Come on, you gotta admit this is classi-"

"JUSTIN!" both brother's exploded.

"Sorry." Justin smiled, ever joyful.

James stared at him, before grabbing Albus by the shoulder, and gently leading him away from their 'cousin'.

"What's up with him?" Albus questioned, shooting a back glance at the other.

"I think he was hit by a cheering charm when I wasn't looking." James confessed. "Anyways, will you do it?"

"Why do you want me to-"

"Because, if we're right about this... About that thing... Do you have any idea how many people could get hurt?"

"Tell the teachers."

"They all pretend to go deaf every time I go near 'em."

Albus groaned. Why did adults have to be so stupid?

"Alright... Let me get this straight..." Albus began as he stared pacing up and down the room. James nodded silently. "You think... You think there's some sort of monster in the Forbidden Forest."

"Yes." James nodded.

"Well... Maybe that's why it's forbidden, don't you think?" Albus turned, staring at his brother with a 'are you really that stupid' expression.

James rolled his eyes. "No shit, Sherlock."

"Don't let mum hear you." Albus smirked.

"Shut it..." James snapped, turning to look the other way.

"Look, it's just... It makes no sense, alright." Albus stated.

James rounded on the other, quick as lightning. "Okay then. Don't believe me."

"I'm not saying I don't believe you, I'm just saying you should take it up with Uncle Bill or maybe McGonagall or-" Albus listed.

"Already did. Hagrid searched the forest. They found nothing." James grumbled.

Albus stared. "Wait... You said all the adults pretend to go deaf when you try and tell them something!" Albus realized.

"Well, now they do." James amended sheepishly.

Albus groaned again.

"Look, I'm just asking you to come with me and Justin to check it out tonight. And, if we don't find anything, I give you the article."

"This is bull." Albus stated bluntly.

"Don't let mum hear you." James quoted cheekily.

Albus was currently resisting the urge to smack his brother. His loving, annoying, evil older brother. But something stopped him. Truth be told, Albus was scared. He was scared of going into the forest, even if he was going with James and Justin. He was scared of what was in there.

After all, the entire family remembered how Uncle Ron had vividly described the Acromantula Colony deep within the bowels of the forest, before Aunt Hermione smacked him upside the head and told him to shut up about such rubbish and to stop scaring the kids. Of course, that had been followed up by Rose stating that was impossible because the native range for Acromantula's was on an Indonesian Island on the other side of the planet, but that's another story for another time.

Albus did not want to go into the forest. He did not want to go within ten leagues of the place, even though he had no idea how long a league was and that he was currently less than a single league from the forest.

And, he was a little boy.

Little boy, stubborn, and just a bit selfish.

Of course, his brother was a prime example of the notion, considering the fact that he was using the article as blackmail, but, beside the point.

"No." Albus shook his head stubbornly.

James blinked.

"No what?"

"I won't do it. Seriously, James? And you call yourself my brother!" With that, Albus Potter stomped of, leaving his brother behind gaping like a fish out of water.

* * *

><p>"What's wrong?" Rose asked him quietly the next day.<p>

Albus turned to stare at her. This girl would never cease to amaze him... Despite the fact that she was going through hell itself, she was still concerned with him. She was still concerned with everything around her, but herself.

Of course, that was more do to her low self esteem issues which she hide behind a carefully carved out mask that her being just plain 'noble', but that's besides the point.

"Nothing." he lied.

She nodded before turning away.

Albus sighed, and returned to his breakfast.

He should have known it had been far too easy. As they left the hall to go to their first class, Rose suddenly slammed him against the wall with a wand dug into his neck.

"Rose-"

"When will you learn?" she demanded coldly. "To not lie to me?" she snapped, digging the wand further into his neck.

"What have we here?"

Rose jumped and wheeled away from Albus, holding her hands and wand innocently behind her back as Professor Verus stared us down with a crocked eyebrow.

"Nothing, Professor." Rose lied smoothly.

"You had me slammed against the wa-" Albus began heatedly.

"A girl managed to get you pinned down? That is not a thing most males your age would confess to." Verus interrupted.

A crimson flush crawled up Albus' neck and onto his face.

"Of course, that is only because woman have been underestimated for centuries. I have found, however, that the first to discover and master the magical arts were feminine, not masculine, descendants from a long lost sentient race now extinct. But, the original of the Homo-Magus is a discussion I think better equipped for another time than the one we currently find ourselves in." Verus continued.

Albus stared. He hadn't understood half of that speech. Rose was the smart one, the one good with words, and all that other good stuff. Albus was, to put it bluntly, just Albus.

"Witches came before wizards, you idiot." Rose whispered to Albus in hushed tone.

"Oh!" he suddenly realized and felt stupid for not realizing it earlier.

"Now, I suggest the two of you be off to class. And please, Ms. Weasley, restrain yourself from hurting our delicate little friend here, or I shall be forced to take action." with that, the Professor turned and left without another word, Albus now blushing even more profoundly than ever.

Rose laughed at his expression.

"Shut it." Albus snapped impatiently.

"You have to admit, it was pretty funny." Rose told him.

Albus muttered something incomprehensible under his breath before stomping of towards Charms.

As the two sat down, Rose asked, yet again, in a hushed tone the one question Albus did not want to hear.

"What's wrong?"

What's wrong. What's wrong. What's wrong. What's wrong. What's wrong. What's 's wrong. What's wrong.

Albus wanted to scream.

What was wrong? He could have gotten that damn article, could have figured this all out for them, and he blew it. He had been selfish and childish. He began to argue with himself, that he wasn't being childish or selfish, but just plain Potter stubborn. He wasn't about to do whatever the hell his brother wanted him to do, wasn't about to be blackmailed into it.

Then why did he feel so guilty about it?

"Al?" Rose asked softly.

How could she be so concerned over him while everything else was falling all around her? How? How?

"I'll tell you later." Albus promised. Of course, it was a lie, and, being Rose she saw right through it. She went along, for now.

"Fine then. You better." she told him with just the hint of a threat under her tone.

Albus knew Rose was trying to help... But did she really have to be so forward about it? Couldn't she just get that Albus wanted to be left alone, that he did not want to talk about it? Why couldn't she get that, why couldn't she understand that, that simple little fact? It annoyed the hell out of Albus.

In the end, he didn't tell her.

She poked and annoyed him like no end, but he did not tell her.

After all, how could he, with the guilt burning down onto his very soul, marking it with angry lines of the deepest red?

Then, there was Scorpius. He and Albus had quickly formed a fragile friendship forged upon the delicate balance of rival-ship. They both argued over everything, tried to out do the other, even shared a few laughs.

It was a strange friendship, and it drew odd looks from others. After all, a Malfoy and a Potter, not strangling one another? It had to be a sign of the impending Apocalypse.

Of course, Albus and Scorpius in particular did not give a damn what everyone else said, so they continued their grudged... Acquaintance with one another, as true friendship was not the way to describe their relationship. More like the respect one shows an equal while trying to jab a knife into the other's back to prove you're truly the best.

To make matters worse, Professor McGonagall gave a log, heated speech about the little library incident.

"Should I find out who would dare violate the sanctity of our great library by lightning aflame, they shall be out of this school faster than they can say Lopado temacho selacho galeo kranio leipsano drim hypo trimmato silphio parao melito katakechy meno kichl epi kossypho phatto perister alektryon opte kephallio kigklo peleio lagoio siraio baphe tragano pterygon!"

(A/N; to date, that is actually the longest word in English. Unless, of course, if you count the chemical sequence known, in short, as titin, which would extend for several pages as the whole thing is 189,891 characters long)

Hundreds stared.

McGonagall just stared at us all coolly.

"How the hell did she just say that?" a voice murmured.

"Silence!" McGonagall snapped, quiet furious. "If anyone would like to come forward, now is the time to do so."

Of course, after that thunderous speech, everyone was too scared to say anything. McGonagall sighed, and seated herself once more.

"I wonder... Do you think witches her age still get periods?" a fifth year asked his friend. Albus frowned. Girls get periods? He has been under the impression that those were the things that you were suppose to put at the end of a sentence... Why would a girl get one of those?

Hearing him, the girl next to him smacked him upside the head and glared.

Albus, once more, stared.

Okay... If that wasn't odd... He didn't know what was.

"I need to use the loo." Rose informed Albus before she lifted from her seat. Albus just nodded as she went off in the direction of the bathroom. A sudden horrible thought pierced Albus' mind. Would she... Tell anyone that it had been him and Scorpius that accidentally lit the library on fire?

Then again, this was Rose, and Albus doubted it. She was too damn loyal to pull of a stunt like that.

Taking advantage of the vacant seat Rose had left unoccupied, someone else slipped into it next to Albus. "I see you've been making friends with Malfoy." James said offhandedly as he sat down.

Albus recoiled in disgust, glaring at the other.

"Go away." he snarled.

"Tsh, tsh, not very nice." James reprimanded.

"James, go away before I smack you." Albus threatened.

James shrugged. "I'd enjoy it." he confessed.

Albus stared in confusion. "You... Like pain?"

"Nah, I just find it amusing when people smack me and are actually under the deluded impression that they're actually doing any damage." James smirked.

Albus rolled his eyes and looked away.

"Look, do you want the article, or not?" James asked.

Albus slapped him. As promised, James laughed. Albus slapped him again, this time harder. The other laughed once more.

"What's wrong with you?" Albus demanded.

"Look, I have a new deal for you. No forest, no nothing, got it?" James said.

Albus was quickly locked in an attentive trance as he just nodded, desperate to get his hands on the article.

"Malfoy. Stay away from that git."

Albus stared.

"Wait... You want me to... Why?"

"Because, he's a Malfoy, and you're a Potter. I don't trust him, Al. That's all you have to do. No forest. Just stay. Away. From Malfoy." James offered.

"Fine." Albus grumbled.

"Good. I'm sure you can wait three weeks, can't you?" James grinned.

"Wait... What!" Albus nearly exploded.

"I need proof you'll actually listen to me. Just a week. On Halloween, I give you the article. Deal?"

Albus wanted to smack his brother again, but, he supposed this was the best he was going to get, so he just nodded.

"Mind you, Aunt Hermione will likely skin me alive for this one." James told Albus before he stood, and departed without another word.

What the heck did that mean? Merlin, this was getting confusing and annoying all at the same time.

Halloween was soon approaching.

The holiday dad hated like no other.

They never really celebrated it. Dad didn't like that day, and everyone else, seemingly out of respect, chose to go along with him... And they all refused to tell Albus what was so critical about that one day, the day October died.

The date now meant a new thing to Albus. It now meant getting his hands on the article, and he was excited for it. True to his word, Albus stayed away from Scorpius.

Scorpius himself did not seem to mind. After all, they had never really gotten to the 'friend' stage, always locked on 'frenemies'.

Albus even forgot he was suppose to be finding out if Theo Nott framed James. He'd found nothing t indicate it was true or otherwise, because, quiet simply, he'd done no research into the task.

But, back to the topic of Halloween.

It was fast approaching, and soon, it was upon them.

October 31st, 2017.

The Halloween feast was as magnificent as it is to be expected at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Floating pumpkins, candles, bats and all sort of things all around the place.

It was strange, celebrating the holiday for a change.

Very strange indeed.

But, Albus was excited. Because he was finally going to get his hands on that article that he so desperately craved. Finally.

"Wait till after the feast." James told him flatly as he stuffed his mouth.

"Why?" Albus demanded angrily.

"Because I left the article in my dorm. And relax, I won't bail on you. Potter's honor." James swore. "Now, enjoy the food."

With that, James shoved a plate of a strange fudge towards Albus.

Albus, grumbling, took a bite, and instantly fell in love.

"What is this?" he asked, taking another bite.

"Treacle tart." Rose informed him as she sat down, having just finished up a project she'd been working on for extra credit in Verus' class, an essay describing the evolution of Transfiguration itself as a whole.

"Mhm..." Albus devoured it like a starved man. "Is there anymore?" he asked eagerly.

James looked around.

"Over there." he pointed to the Ravenclaw table.

Albus jumped to his feet and rushed towards the plate... Only to be beaten as Dominique got there first, taking a bite out of it. Albus, however, was not to be deterred that easy.

"What's that?" he pointed behind Dominique with a dramatic gasp. She wheeled around, confused when she saw nothing, and, when she turned around, she noticed an absence.

Something missing.

Something taken.

"ALBUS!" she shrieked as the other ran back to his seat, the kidnapped desert held firmly between his finger tips.

Those who noticed what was going on did one of two things; they stared at Albus like he was mental, or they laughed themselves to tears at Dominique's furious expression.

Albus sat, grinned at his cousin, then took a bite.

Dominique began to advance towards them dangerously.

Whatever she was about to say or do was interrupted by a thunderous clang. They all looked around in confusion. The doors to the Great Hall smashed open, and there before their eyes stood Professor Bane, looking livid and worried at the same time. How he managed the look was beyond ALbus, but the man managed it.

Wait a second...

Albus turned to look up at the staff table, and... Now, Albus might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, he might not be one of those kids who aces all of his classes, but he was pretty damn sure a person cannot be in two places at the same time. And sure enough, there he was, Professor Bane, sitting at the staff table, staring wide eyed at his doppelganger.

"What... Badar, who is this?" Professor McGonagall demands.

Since its confusing thinking about these two being the same person, Albus just decided to think of the new Bane as Bane in his head and the one sitting at the table Badar. Still using that thought pattern, it was confusing to say the least.

Bane lifted a single accusing finger, pointing it at the other him. "Fake." he spat.

Badar stands. "Who. The bloody hell. Are you!" he snarled.

"I am Badar Bane. And you are an imposter!" Bane shouts.

Badar narrows his eyes. "I don't know who you are, or why you happen to be masquerading as me, but believe me I will find out!"

"Rose, which one is real?" Albus ask her. Surely she, with her annoying habit of catching liars, can figure it out?

"I.. I don't.." she shakes her head.

Well, there's that one out the window.

Professor Verus stands, his eyes narrowed as he glances between the two Banes.

Everyone else is too shocked to move.

"Imposter." Bane spits.

"One of them has taken Polyjuice potion." Verus points out.

"That is obvious." McGonagall snaps. Then she turns, giving each Bane a stern look. "Both of you, with me, now!"

She rounds the table, Badar grumbling as he follows. Uncle Neville stands.

"Minerva, maybe I should-"

"No, stay here." McGonagall says, before leaning in and whispering something in his ear. He nods and sits back down.

McGonagall turns, snaps at Badar to hurry up, and they both strode out of the hall, Bane following cloesly behind.

There's silence for a few seconds, minutes, maybe even days before someone speaks up.

"What the hell just happened!" a Hufflepuff, second year by the looks of it, shouts out.

"Kevin, don't swear!" someone who Albus guess must have been his sister snaps at him.

The murmuring breaks out. Uncle Neville and Uncle Bill are both locked in an avid conversation. Verus looks worried. But the most alarmed out of all the Professors seems to be an elderly one wearing shaws, giant spectacles that make her look like an over sized insect. She seems to be hyperventilating.

"Who's that?" Albus asked James.

"Who- oh, just Professor Treleway. Old fraud if you ask me." James answers, before turning back and muttering something to Justin that Albus, for the life of him, could not catch. They both look worried, both look like... Like they've been expecting this.

Another bang. A shriek.

"Stop h-" the voice of one of the Bane's is interrupted with a second ear-splitting bang, worse than the first, like a sonar blast. The teachers, standing in alarm, clutch at their ears in pain.

"Fall." a voice echoes.

Uncle Neville is in the lead as the Professors rush out, the students not far behind.

"Stay back!" Professor Hawthorn orders, but the students don't listen at all as they all gather. There, spread eagled with his eyes half closed, is Professor Bane. The real one, Albus assumes. A note is splayed over his body. The students gasp in terror. Uncle Neville reaches the body, puts a finer on his neck. "He's alive!" he shouts out, before picking up the note.

His face turns pale as it drops from his hands.

"Neville?" Uncle Bill says.

Uncle Neville doesn't even respond to the sound of his name.

Professor Verus walks forth, picking up the note. His voice is grave as he reads out the few words splayed on the paper.

_"Her corpse will mark this place forever..."_

Rose didn't know it yet, but it was in her hand, in her writing, that the crucial note was written. Her hand that spelled out th words, and her hand alone.

And Minerva McGonagall was gone to Hell knows where... Kidnapped, and gone.


	11. The Article

A/N; It has been exactly two weeks since I last updated this... To be honest, I did not even notice it had been that long or I would have started working on it far earlier on.

Also, I made a Supernatural-HP crossover story. So far, I hate the title, so if anyone would like to suggest a new one, I'm all ears. The only reason I'm mentioning it is because it ties into this story, except it's ten years prior. All my stories connect, actually. I think I'm OCD in that respect. I don't mind a mess, I hate getting organized, but I seem to gave this odd pathological need to connect every single thing together... Weird, huh?

Story shout out!(random, yeah, but whatever). As I am kinda helping Winged Quill with plot details to a story of hers, I thought I might as well mention it. It's called Not the Same, Never Again. It's a HP/MR crossover in which Harry gets kidnapped and turned into one of the Flock before they manage to escape, all during the summer after GoF. Warning; torture.

On with the story.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

**The Article**

That night, they herded them all into the Great Hall.

"We must search the castle. Mr. Gale, round up the ghosts! Have them search every tiny crevice they can find!" Uncle Neville commanded.

Professor Verus waved his wand around in circles, conjuring several sleeping bags, ranging from burning blue to crimson red.

"Go to sleep!" Albus heard Victoire snap at someone. Sometimes, he personally thought that making her Head Girl was the worst possible thing to do. It multiplied her bossy side tenfold.

Albus' eyes closed, but he couldn't sleep. He seriously doubted anyone else could, after witnessing that. The words kept echoing inside his skull, over and over and over.

Her corpse will mark this place forever... He was scared. Really scared.

Of course, that was nothing compared to Rose. Because, unlike him, she couldn't remember where she was. She couldn't remember what happened, exactly. Worse of all, she couldn't remember that it was she, not the mysterious Bane-impersonating assassin, that had written that cryptic little note...

At this point, Albus began to waver. Somehow, he really was falling asleep. His eyes drooped and nearly shut when he heard a noise. Squinting his eyes, he made out the figure of Professor Hawthorn approaching Uncle Neville. His attention spiked, Albus lay still and listened.

"No sign anywhere in the castle?" Uncle Neville asked.

"No. We've searched everywhere. Its like they simply vanished.." Professor Hawthorn replied.

"They can't have! You can't dissaparate within Hogwarts grounds." Uncle Neville said.

Albus turned my body over ever so slightly, his eyes darting open ever so slightly to get a better view of the two Professors. Uncle Neville had his back to him, but Professor Hawthorn seemed agitated. Standing beside them was a pale looking Victoire.

"Do you think it has anything to do with-?" she began.

"No, Verus was here, at the staff table, eh couldn't have possible been involved." Uncle Neville told her.

Verus? Wait... What? What does Verus have to do with anything?

"I wouldn't be so sure.." Professor Hawthorn said darkly. "After all, the man in a mass murderer. As cunning as they come."

Albus paled. Mass.. Murderer? What the hell? The doors of the hall opened quickly before being shut once more. In came the figure of Uncle Bill, looking disheveled.

"Is he awake?" Uncle Neville asked.

"No.. He's been put under some type of dark curse. I've never seen the kind of it, and I've seen some nasty things down in Egypt with the ancient traps they set there." Uncle Bill said, sounding grave.

In the dim moonlight coming from above, Albus saw Professor Hawthorn pale.

"This is not good.."

Albus felt the savage urge to yell 'what gave you the idea!'

* * *

><p>"I told you, I told you something was out there!" James hissed.<p>

"I heard you the first five times, James." Albus snapped, doing his best to get away from the other. He needed time to think, time to get his head in order, to wrap his mind around everything that had just happened.

Minerva McGonagall.

War hero. Champion of Gryfindor. A damn legend. And now, she was gone. Whatever was impersonating Bane took her, and now, she was gone.

"Wait." James pulled on Albus' shoulder.

"Leave me alone!" Albus snarled as he turned to face his brother, glaring.

"Here." James slips a piece of paper from his robs, pressing it into Albus' hands. "A promise is a promise."

Albus stares down at the paper.

After all this time...

And he doesn't really give a damn. He doesn't give a damn, not anymore, but he takes it anyways. Ingrained manners take over, and, without even thinking about it, he mutters a quick thanks.

"Of course. Take care." James says before stalking off in the opposite direction, leaving Albus alone to his own musing.

Curiosity gets the best of him. He flips the folded up paper open, and begins to read. His eyes widen as he continues before, midway, he drops it, mouth hung slack open.

"Aunt Hermione, what have you done?" Albus whispered practically to himself.

This meant war. It undoubtedly meant war. And Aunt Hermione had caused it. She caused it, all of it, and now there would be hell to pay.

"Aunt Hermione, what have you done?" Albus repeated to himself.

* * *

><p>Professor Bane did not wake. He did not wake for days. In fact, the man seemed to have fallen into a magically induced coma.<p>

Albus didn't know it, but it was worse than that, much, much worse.

Professor Bane wasn't just unconscious. It was as if someone had taken his life force, and syphoned the majority out. Like someone had fed on him. On his magic, on his energy. Not just on his life force, but his soul as well.

It was still intact, but only just, and, no matter what the Healers tried, the condition only seemed to worsen.

The next day, Uncle Neville gravely took his post as Deputy Headmaster, addressing the school as a whole over the current situation.

"The school will be put under full protection. While we don't believe the kil- Kidnapper is still on grounds, extreme security measures must be taken. I simply ask you all to do your best to stay out of trouble. Any student caught after hours will, to my annoyance, believe me, serve no less than a week's detention-" Uncle Neville began.

He was interrupted with an uproar from the students and had to send several golden sparks into the air to restore order.

"Look, I don't like it anymore than any of you! But this is for your own safety. Please?"

There was general silence before a Slytherin girl who's name I didn't know perked up. "What about Professor Bane? Is he alright?" she asked.

Uncle Neville sighed before continuing on. "Professor Bane has been transferred to St. Mungos." the school gasped. "His condition isn't critical!" Uncle Neville assured, calming people down a bit. "But he seems to be locked in a paralysis. The Healers are doing their best to revive him, but at the current moment, his condition is static."

"What does that mean?" someone called out. Albus turned to look and saw it was Orion, or Theo. At this point, he wasn't sure what to call the other. He looked pale. Not just pale, but worried. Worried and scared.

"He's frozen. Not prettified, just asleep." Uncle Neville told them all, his expression grave and serious.

"Asleep?" someone from Hufflepuff sneered.

"Yes. He seems to be asleep." Uncle Nevile answered, ignoring the tone of the particular student before he went on. "The healers are simply baffled, and they can't break him out of it. On a different but related matter," Uncle Neville put an end to the discussion before more questions could be sent his way. "Half a dozen Aurors will be stationed at Hogwarts at all times. We can't risk something like this happening again. Now, excuse me, I have a meeting with the Minister to discuss some very important international issues..."

And, with that, Uncle Neville walked off the stage, making his path to two Aurors standing guard by the entrance to the Great Hall. He nodded at the pair of them before walking past them.

Albus then turned to Rose.

"There's something I have to tell you."

"What?" she asks.

Suddenly, a fist slams into the table, causing the pair to jump before looking up into the rageful and dangerous eyes of Tabitha Nott.

"This is all your fault, red head." she snarled at Rose.

Rose stared at her incredulously.

"My fault? How is it my fault?" Rose demands.

"Don't play stupid. You know what your mother did!" and, with that, Tabitha slaps Rose clear across the face.

And, instead of the Gryffindors rising in defense of one of their own, they cheer. Well, for the most part, they cheer. Molly over the Hufflepuff table sends a jinx that hits Tabitha square in the chest, causing her to reel backwards as it nearly knocks her off her feet.

Rose doesn't say a word. Instead, she stands up, tears in her eyes, and stomps out of the hall.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ALL OF YOU!" Albus thunders, causing every pair of eye to dart towards him. Great. Now, of all times, the teachers take notice of what's going on.

Stupid adults!

"Come here, young man." Uncle Bill marches towards him, motioning Albus to come with him.

"No!" Albus snarls, before glaring at everyone around him, especially at his own house. They were suppose to stick together, suppose to be united, not this! This was... This was... Damn it, he couldn't think of a word bad enough to describe it, even with the prolific training Uncle George gave him as a child purely to piss mom off.

"Albus-" Uncle Bill begins.

"No! What's wrong with all of you? She's freaking 11! She can't control what her parents do, none of us can! And, on top of that, she doesn't even have any idea what her mother did in the first place! You are all disgusting, annoying little- ugh!" Albus screamed his lungs out, displaying the famous Potter temper.

Most of the younger years cringed, but the older students looked confused. After all, they weren't in on it. They had absolutely no idea wha the hell was going on.

Albus glared at everyone one last time before he stomped after Rose.

He searched and searched, before, finally, he heard it. The distinct sound of someone sobbing. He looked up at the door before him, and internally cringed. The girl's bathroom. But, this was Rose... He had to.

Praying to Merlin no one saw him, Albus slipped inside, shutting the door behind him. Instantly, the sound of Rose crying ceased. Obviously, she didn't want to be heard.

"Rose?" Albus called out.

Instead of Rose, the pale spirit of a girl just a few years older than him shot forward from one of the stalls. She had thick lenses, a skinny and bony body, the dark hair in pigtails as she glared death at Albus, making him back away.

"This is a girl's bathroom! Out! Out! Leave her alone, out!" the ghost snarled at him viciously.

"I just-" Albus began.

"I said-" the ghost continued, before sticking a hand through Albus. He shuddered fiercely as cold swept him, filling him to the brim. "OUT!"

Albus distinctly heard the sound of one of the stalls opening up, then he heard the voice of Rose on the other side. "Myrtle, leave him alone!" she called.

The ghost, who was apparently named Myrtle, turned to look at the other, before nodding. Glaring one last time at Albus, she floated off, disappearing through a wall.

Albus panted slightly, before turning to look at Rose. Tear tracks were embedded like canyons down her cheeks. Her eyes were puffy and red. "Al, please, I just want to be left alone." Rose told him.

"You sure about that?" Albus asked as he pulled the lone piece of parchment from his robe. Her eyes widened.

"Is that... What I think..."

"James gave it to me this morning." Albus confirmed.

Quick as lightning, she was standing before him before snatching the article rather rudely from his grip. But, after waiting so long, she couldn't help it.

"Did you read it?" she demands.

"Just a little." Albus confesses.

Rose nods slowly before she moves towards the wall, sitting down against it, her eyes never leaving the article. She pats the ground next to her and Albus moves to sit before, at last, she begins to read the whole thing out loud.


	12. Aunt Hermione, What Have You Done?

A/N; Short, true. But, this one kinda had to be short. Sorry about that. But, it really does get the general message of the article across, so...

Reminder; everything is NOT as it initially seems.

Mafalda was a character Rowling initially designed. Her role, however, was eventually stamped out in favor of Rita Skeeter. She was basically the anti-Hermione, her equal, nosy, annoying, and 11 years old all in one, along with being the daughter of Molly's second cousin. I took the last name of the actress who played Skeeter, and tagged it on Mafalda to give her a surname.

Anyways, on with the story.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

**Aunt Hermione, What Have You Done?**

Rose stared at the article in her hands. Her voice hitched. She had stopped breathing. Then, she slammed it down, a menacing growl emanating her lips.

"What... The hell... Was she thinking!" Rose was suddenly standing, pacing up in don, waving her arms furiously.

"You didn't even read the full thing!" Albus called, picking the article of the ground and rising as well, holding it out to his cousin.

Rose turned and glared at him.

"We shall revolutionize the legal system, we shall revolutionize the criminal system of the wizarding world. Too long have we lived in secular laws dating back to the dark ages! It is time for a revolution, for change!" Rose quoted perfectly as Albus glanced down at the article in his hands. Yup. She got every single word right.

How was beyond him...

"Well, what's so bad about that, huh?" Albus snapped, looking back up at his cousin.

"Keep reading, you idiot!" Rose hissed.

Albus sighed and glanced down. Might as well start at the beginning, Albus thought...

_Hermione Granger's Greatest Mistake Plagues the Wizarding World,_

_Mafalda Richardson_

_"We shall revolutionize the legal system, we shall revolutionize the criminal system of the wizarding world. Too long have we lived in secular laws dating back to the dark ages! It is time for a revolution, for change!"_

_These were the words Head of Department of Magical Law Enforcement(DMLE), Hermione Jean Weasley nee Granger graced the International Confederation of Wizards(ICW) with earlier this morning. Granger's already renowned identity worldwide due to her part in the defeat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named nearly 20 years prior now explodes across the papers and pens of journalists across the wizarding world to this new declaration. Granger has already been the article of several controversies. From House-elf rights to refusing to legally change her name to that of her husbands and instead opting to take both, along comes this newest in the string of asperities that are Hermione Granger._

_As the first Muggle-born in Magical History to take the post of British Head of the DMLE, Granger instantly was subject to the disapproving eyes of dozens. A controversy broke during the early years of her service, which most experts now call a conspiracy theory, but this reporter did some digging and she begs to differ._

_Ten Years ago, Granger garnered mass disapproval towards herself when it was revealed she, alongside Head Auror Harry Potter, where both working with Muggle Assassins. Though both deny the claims that any aforementioned acts ever took place, the wizarding community is still not convinced of her innocence in the matter._

_Curious, this reporter dug. I dug and dug until I struck gold. I can now exclusively reveal that both Potter and Granger, along with several other High-Ranking Ministry employees, were involved in a massive coverup of some sort, dating ten years back from the years of 2007 forward. What have they kept hidden from us? What are our trusted and elected officials hiding from us? What secret are they garnishing?_

_It is in this light that we must look at this latest development; Granger's decision to 'revolutionize' the wizarding criminal system. Perhaps the events of the past have influenced this bold and unprecedented move?_

_For three years now, Granger has been making a push to what she calls modernization. Several times, she attempted to have the Hogwarts train modified to a newer model than the one that has been used for well over a century by incoming students making their way to Hogwarts via London. She has attempted to push the Hogwarts Governors into adding extra courses that focus on Muggle Studies, attempting to even make the class mandatory to all students. There is even a rumor that she attempted to have a House-elf instilled into the ranks of the Wizengamot._

_Therefore, this newest move should not be a surprise in the already mounting extremist and liberal reforms Granger has proposed over the past few years. Yet the latest is perhaps the most dangerous of all._

_A proposal to modernize our Criminal System, which Granger states is 'Grossly out of date.' How does she propose this? The attempt to introduce a jury of peers to judge the accused, thus taking power from our trusted members of the Wizarding Council._

_If this was not enough, she also proposed some prisoners be released, stating that they have more than served their time. For months, the Wizarding World lived in fear that Granger would succeed. The fear was well placed._

_On Granger's orders, several prisoners were released from notorious strongholds such as Azkaban, Nurmengard, and the infamous Fortress Inferous, among others. Though none of the released were high-priority prisoners, fear still ran high. And the stakes were well placed._

_Despite Granger's reassurances that each prisoner released was safe to be among our community after allegedly subjecting each to rigorous psychological tests, her words are like ash in comparison to reality._

_Johan Undiente. Imprisoned in Nurmengard in 1984 for running an Illegal Dragon Fighting Ring, a direct violation of both the Protection of Endangered Magical Species Act and the International Statute of Secrecy, was among the released. Days later, the families of both German DMLE agents who took foot in his capture were found murdered in their homes._

_Terra Krasus. Accused of running a Potions scam in 1999, Krasus was released from Azkaban directly on Granger's orders. Days later, it is believed Krasus was responsible for several attacks involving magical bombs in Madrid, where she was captured after a brutal three month man-hunt._

_Most notorious of all, imprisoned in 1944 at Nurmengard, is Vantias Deacrachi Lorenzo, captured at the climax of Grindelwald's Revolution by Albus Dumbledore. Lorenzo was rumored to have been Grindelwald's right hand man during the war, and the fact that he was among the released is startling to say the least. Lorenzo had been locked within the walls of Nurmengard for the past 80 years, and many wanted to keep in that way._

_Granger refused._

_This reporter did some more digging, and found that Lorenzo, over the past 80 years, received almost no visits what so ever during his incarceration. But three stand out. Set at intervals over a five year period starting, coincidentally, in 2007, Lorenzo was visited twice by Granger and once by Head of Auror Department Harry Potter._

_Criminal acts, due to Granger's inability to see how dangerous many of these individuals are to our community, has caused unprecedented chaos. It all ties together, whatever Granger and Potter are hiding. The records of such events are, for now, confidentially enclosed and kept from the public. Many questions arise; what are Granger and Potter hiding, how is Lorenzo involved, what is the true aim here?_

_This reporter will keep digging until she find the truth for your news hungry ears. Until then, Mafalda Richardson, Independent Reporter._

Albus glanced up at Rose as he read the last line. She was standing there, fuming, her arms crossed.

"Look, it isn't that bad-" Albus began.

"She released Grindelwald's right hand man! Tell me if that sounds sane to you Al, please tell me, because it sure as hell doesn't to me!" Rose exploded.

"Rose-"

"What was she thinking, what- ugh! No wonder everyone's been treating me like- like- ugh!" Rose had angry tears falling from her eyes again. She looked absolutely furious. Furious, angry, hurt, confused.

Albus had to take a step back. He, like his uncle before him, had the emotional range of a teaspoon, and hadn't the foggiest of an idea of what he was suppose to do in the face of such feelings.

"Look, let's write to her, okay? I'm sure Aunt Hermione can-"

"There is no explanation, Al. She messed up. she messed up bad. I'm surprised she hasn't been arrested yet, Merlin, mum what have you-" Rose began to rant.

Suddenly, Myrtle burst through the door- or, glided through it, however you prefer- wailing.

"Attack, attack! Attack in the corridor, attack!" then, she made her way to the nearest toilet, and plunged herself within it's depths.

Albus and Rose exchanged horror filled looks before, together, they ran out of the bathroom and into the hall. Rose screamed and Albus stopped breathing. Spread-eageled before them, his eyes closed, chest heaving slightly, blood staining red around him, was Justin.

There was a note.

Fearfully, Albus walked up, taking it in hand.

_Shouldn't poke your nose where it doesn't belong, _it read...


	13. The Gryffindor Common Room Massacre

A/N; Well. Last time I updated was last month. Huh. Time flies. It's been two weeks. Sorry, I guess. Fair warning, next update might take me longer. Why? Internet go bye-bye. I'm updating this, along with my other stories, at school. I've no idea when there will be internet at home again, possibly never as every company we call says there is no service in your area and this one dude from CenturyLinks tried to scam us out of our money O.o. Random moments, I tell you. Random moments. We only found out because the phone we were using to call died, and, when we called again, the new guy apologized and said there was no service in out area, at which point I wanted to yell at someone since the first dude talked for like an hour about hell knows what and had no idea what he was even doing. But, anyways...

But, luckily, school still exists. An they have free wi-fi. Therefore, I can update here. Which I exactly what I'm doing. I have no idea when I'll be able to update agin, sorry peoples.

Anyways, on with the story.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

**The Gryffindor Common Room Massacre**

"Justin, Justin!" Rose screamed, over and over.

Albus rushed next to her, falling to his knees before his cousin. His heart was pounding within his chest a hundred beats a minute. He turned Justin over, felt the face.

Cold. So, so cold.

No, he couldn't be... No, he... Justin couldn't be dead, right? Albus might have been annoyed with his 'cousin', but he never wanted him to die! Justin had to be alright. He had to. He had to.

Suddenly, teachers, or a teacher, was rushing on the scene, flanked by two Prefects.

"Back, step back!" Professor Hawthorn commanded.

The Prefects tried to pull Albus and Rose back. Albus slacked into their arms, too shocked to fight back while Rose screamed, kicked, and cried out madly. She let her head fall back, hitting the other in the nose, hard, drawing blood even as he held her in place. Her eyes shot open wildly.

She was breaking down. After all this time, she was breaking down.

Justin couldn't...

No, please.

Please, don't be dead.

Don't be dead, don't be dead...

Professor Hawthorn quickly knelt before the body, his finger pressing at the neck.

"Professor, is he-" one of the Prefects asked. At that moment, Rose stopped struggling. Let him be alive, let him be alive, let him be alive, she practically prayed.

"He has a pulse." Professor Hawthorn confirmed.

Rose slacked in the arms of the Prefect holding her. He gasped, the dead weight catching him by surprise. Then, she spun around, grabbed his arm. One well placed foot later and the much older prefect was on the ground and the other Prefect had shoved Albus away from his to draw his wand on her.

"Ms. Weasley, please, I must demand that you remain calm!" Professor Hawthorn commanded from his kneeling position before Justin.

"I don't like being restrained." Rose said simply, glaring down at the Prefect she'd knocked to the floor with tear strained eyes.

Professor Hawthorn sighed as he rose. The Prefect followed behind him, eying Rose wearily. "Muller, Richardson, get this boy to the infirmary." he ordered. The Prefects nodded before walking over, heaving Justin between them, and carrying him away. Then, Hawthorn turned to Albus and Rose. "You two, with me." he stated.

Having no other choice, Albus and Rose followed as he led them to his office. The walls where covered in maps from all around the globe. Continents, islands, places Albus had never even heard about. One was labeled _Atlantis; Fallen Continent. _Another was labeled _Avalon; Island Lost. _Albus' was then drawn back to Professor Hawthorn as he sat, before motioning them to sit with his hand.

The two first years did so.

"I need you to tell me what happened." Professor Hawthorn told us calmly. "Not a detail out."

Albus shot a look at Rose. How was he suppose to explain him being in the girl's bathroom? Just then, it hit him. He was in the girl's bathroom. A very small part of him prayed to Merlin and Morgana and God that James never found out that little detail. Then, the rest of him flared in anger and yelled at that small part of him, reminding him of Justin and what happened to his cousin. How could he think so selfishly about himself at a time like this?

"I was... In the bathroom, crying." Rose confessed.

"Would you mind me asking why?" Professor Hawthorn sounded concerned.

"Yes, I do mind." Rose told him bluntly. Blunt, always so blunt.

Professor Hawthorn blinked at the hostility in her voice before nodding. "Very well. Go on." he encouraged in understanding.

"Al... Al found me and tried to get me to calm down." Rose continued.

"In the girl's bathroom." Professor Hawthorn shot Albus an odd look that had Albus' cheeks flaring.

"Yes. Then, we heard Myrtle scream. We walked out, and Justin was there." Rose finished.

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"Anything you'd like to add, Albus?" Professor Hawthorn turned to Albus, who had yet to utter a single word since entering the office.

"We.. Uh. We found this." Albus pulled the crumbled paper out of his pocket and handed it to Professor Hawthorn.

He glanced down at it, his eyes widening. "I... I see. I suggest the two of you be off." he told them before standing up, making his way to the corner of the room. He began to look through Merlin knows what, all the while muttering to himself under his breath.

"Professor, will Justin-" Rose couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

Professor Hawthorn stopped and looked back at us. He was silent for a few seconds before Albus saw... Disgust? It flashed in the Professor's eyes for a second before he answered, and then, it was gone. "I... I don't know, I'm sorry." and with that, he turned back to his work.

Rose closed her eyes. Her breathing labored a bit.

"You don't know." Albus repeated incredulously.

Professor Hawthorn sighed and turned back to them. "Look, we still have no idea who, or what, is behind this. Whatever it's doing... Professor Bane, for the record, is still among the living. He's in a magically induced coma, but, for the moment, alive. His vitals show no sign of changing. We aren't loosing him, but we don't know how to heal whatever it was that happened to him, alright? I'm sorry, but there is nothing more I can tell you." Professor Hawthorn told them softly... Without even once glancing the two first years in the eyes. Guilt, and a touch of something else. But what?

Albus closed his eyes and he heard Rose choke back a sob. Then, determinedly, she stood, wiped the water of her face. She shot a glance at her cousin, before, without a word, she turned and began to march off.

There was no anger in her step.

Just plain blunt determination.

Albus stood and followed after her, unsure of what was happening.

Professor Hawthorn glanced back as the two students departed them rushed to his desk, pulling out a very specially enchanted parchment.

_Another attack. Justin Longbottom. Second year, _he wrote. He waited a few seconds before the parchment replied.

_Status?_

Professor Hawthorn dipped his quill in ink before responding.

_Alive. As far as I can tell, he's in the same state as Bane._

He waited.

_Anything else?_

Professor Hawthorn blinked and had to bite back his anger. A twelve year old might die and Mopsus didn't even sound even remotely concerned.

_He was found with a note; 'Shouldn't stick your nose where it doesn't belong.'_

The Professor scribbled on the document. No reply. He sighed and was about to put it away when the writing commenced once more. This time, it was rushed and quick. He gasped, dropping the quill and rushing off.

Damn it all...

* * *

><p>"Will you at least tell me where we're going?" Albus asked yet again.<p>

"Gryffindor Common Room." Rose answered simply.

"Oh... Wait, why?" Albus frowned. The way Rose was walking... The fire in her eyes. She was up to something.

She looked back at him. "This, the in-fighting, it has to stop. Whatever this thing is, it already got to Justin. Just how many other people can it get it's claws into? We have to work together, and that's a fact they're going o have to accept."

With that, she turned away. Albus sighed. So she was combining their two biggest problems in one; the constant harassment and the mysterious attacker.

They entered the Common Room, and Rose shrieked.

"Rose!" Albus ran in after her.

"What is it?" the Fat Lady asked sleepily.

Albus and Rose stood in transfixed horror as they looked around the place. The entire place was a mess. Papers tossed around every which way, the couches ripped to tatters. The table in the center had been knocked to it's side, and it was missing a leg. It looked like some sort of bomb had gone off while they where away. And that wasn't the worst part.

The worst was the bodies...

Splayed out on the ground without any rumor or remorse, a little blood here and there. Where they dead? No, they couldn't be dead... Maybe comatose, like Justin? Why was Albus praying they where comatose like Justin? But, those blood stains...

And, in the center of it all...

Justin?

He was holding James in his hands. His eyes where feral, much unlike him. When he heard them, he turned to growl up at them. James' eyes where rolling inside his skull. He looked faint, barely hanging in there. Pale as can be. Some sort of blue energy was leaving him, slowly being siphoned into Justin.

Albus and Rose just froze. Justin tossed James aside, causing him to slump up against the wall. Wait. Wasn't Justin... The two Prefects had taken him down to the infirmary, how, then how was he here? The question flitted across Albus' subconscious for just a fraction of a second. They had more things to worry about, the fallen lions all around them.

"Justin..." Albus whispered.

"Try again." the thing that looked like Justin Longbottom grinned before lifting it's hand. Blue energy shot forth, making it's way directly at them. There was no defense. They where still in shock. Instincts kicked in and Albus tacked Rose, but at a cost.

The energy hit him.

"AL!"

The body spun in the air, crashed above the entrance of the Gryffindor Common Room. He fell down, hard, dust settling in around him. Albus groaned in pain and Rose felt a surge of relief.

At least he wasn't...

The relief was swept away as a hand gripped her throat and she was slammed into a wall. The thing that looked like Justin snarled at her, barring it's teeth. She began to feel dizzy. Everything was spinning. Up was down. Left was right. Had the room always been sideways? What was that strange light?

She heard some sort of scream. She couldn't understand the voice. It was muffled, as if coming from a great distance, but, the next thing she knew, the thing that looked like Justin was flung off her. She fell to her knees, gasping.

She looked around. The... Whatever the hell it was... Was pinned to a wall. It shrieked and screamed before what looked like a great silver animal struck it. Then, it fell down to the ground, all ounce of struggle seeped out of it.

Rose just had time to make out Professor Hawthorn in the doorway helping Albus to his feet before it all went dark.

"What is that thing?" Albus gasped even as Professor Hawthorn helped him to him to his feet.

"I have no idea..." Professor Hawthorn whispered before he began to approach the fallen thing slowly. Suddenly, it jumped up, snarling, gripping his throat. Professor Hawthorn gasped, unable to breath, his wand falling uselessly to the ground next to him.

"NO!"

Albus tacked the thing. It quickly tossed him and for the second time in less than five minutes Albus Potter was slammed, hard, against a wall. He groaned as he fell back to the ground once more. If the first crash didn't break something, that one definitely did... He tried to get up, but it hurt to much to even try.

Professor Hawthorn then picked up his wand from the floor, and before 'Justin' could stop him, he unleashed a volley of curses and hexes at the creature. It snarled at him, tried to dodge, but one struck, and it stuck hard. It went flying... Straight out the window.

It screamed at an inhuman pitch as the glass shattered, the pieces flailing around them.

Professor Hawthorn ran to the side of the tower, glancing down. The thing crashed into the earth. The bones looked broken and stuck out at odd angles. He sighed. Well, whatever it was, it couldn't possible have survived tha-

Then, it started piecing itself back together..

What the hell? Blue energy cackled from it, fading as it began to repair itself. Draining slowly as it used it to heal itself.

The Justin thing stood, grinned, then ran off, headed towards the forest. Professor Hawthorn stared after it before turning back to the Gryffindor's. A quick wave of his wand told him what he needed to know; they where all alive. Whatever that thing was, it was, luckily, not very interested in killing any of them.

But, if it didn't want that...

What did it want?

Professor Hawthorn and Albus, the last two truly conscious, exchanged heated looks. No words. Just looks. Looks, and fear...


	14. Christmas

A/N; This story is coming to a close in the next few chapters, believe it or not.

I'm not gonna torture you all with my usual rants.

Anyways, on with the story.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

**Christmas**

Things at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry became very grim after that. Very grim indeed. It was by some sort of miracle that the school was no immediately closed after the attack.

The Gryffindor Common room itself had been attacked.

The Gryffindor Common room itself had fallen under assault.

And the bodies, everywhere...

Luckily, there were no fatalities. Perhaps this and this alone was what kept the school from being closed on the spot. Regardless, Aurors no walked up and down the Halls, security had been upped tenfold, and tensions ran high.

What terrified Albus most, however, was this; that thing got back up.

It fell directly off Gryffindor tower, and it got back up. It got back up as if it had been nothing, as if falling several stories was an everyday occurrence for it, before it looked up and smirked, taunting them.

Albus was sitting beside his brother's side.

James was the only one in here. It seemed the creature had been after him. It had been after James. It merely attacked the rest of the students because they got in the way. Because they stood up to it. Because they, like the Gryffindors they were, like the bold lions they were, they fought back, tooth and bone.

James was sleeping. The thing hadn't managed to finish whatever it had been doing to James, and Madam Patil, the school nurse, had assured Albus that she was sure James would make a full recovery within days and would be back up on his feet in no time.

Of this Albus was sure of; James and Justin had found something.

They knew something, discovered something, and this thing had come for them. This thing had tried to hunt them down because of it, tried to take them out.

Albus wished he'd listened to his brother earlier, but he'd been too damn stubborn, not wanting to go into that forest. Then again, if they had, all three of them... The forest was were the creature had run off to. Albus doubted any of them would still be breathing if they had made their way to that place.

Of course, the forest was being searched. In fact, the whole school had been searched. Rumor had it some enchanted map had been used in the search as well. But, in the end, nothing. The thing had escaped without a trace, just gone.

Albus was sure it was still prowling somewhere, he just didn't know where that where was.

What was that thing, anyways?

From what Albus could gather, it was some form of shapeshifter. That, or it had a really handy stack of Polyjuice Potion at it's disposal... But he doubted it was human. What kind of human can do things like that? It was practically feeding, _feeding, _of his brother's magic.

Though, on the bright side, they now knew what had happened to the other vics...

Bane and Justin had both suffered the exact same treatment. They had been subjected to the things powers, and the result lay out before them. St. Mungo's were already attempting to develop something to get them back on their feat, but Albus suspected it wouldn't work.

It was more than just magic the thing was feeding off of.

He didn't know what, but he just knew. A feeling, in his gut.

Albus felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, and looked up at Rose standing behind him. There were heavy circles under her eyes, just like all the others. While the creature hadn't managed to feed of those in the Common Room long enough to do any serious damage, it had left them like this; tired, delirious, sore, with deep bruise like circles under their eyes.

"How are you holding up?" she asked softly before taking a seat beside him.

Albus looked back at James, at his sleeping face. James tossed and turned a bit. He was having a nightmare. Again.

"He knew something, Rose. They both did. The thing... It went after them because they _knew _something..." Albus whispered in a barely audible voice.

Rose grimaced but didn't comment.

Then, she pulled something out of her bag. Albus wasn't paying attention, his attention locked on his brother, on his own flesh and blood. Sure, James was the biggest, most annoying prat on the planet but he never wanted something like this to happen. It hurt, seeing his big brother, who was usually so strong, energetic and joyful so fallen.

"Look." she said, thrusting the papers at him. Albus took them, but he didn't look down. He didn't want to. "Al'." Rose sighed. He let them drop with a thud. She shot him an irritated look before picking up the stack of papers. There weren't many, just a few parchments upon which she had written, trying to connect all the pieces. So far, she'd gotten nothing concrete, though if inference was to be trusted... Well, let's just say Albus would not like the results.

Rose stood, and, without a second glance, walked right out the room.

* * *

><p>"These are dark times." Uncle Neville spoke. For once, there was complete and utter silence. Everyone, without a doubt, was lacked in rapt attention as Uncle Neville continued. "We have had some hardships this year. Nearly two months ago, Professor McGonagall, our Headmistress, was kidnapped. We believe her still alive, but for how long... And now, with the most recent attack in the Gryffindor Common Room, I must stress the following; you are not to be snooping around. You are not to be out after hours. You are not to be about all on your own. A teacher will accompany each and every student to their next class. I... I admit. The future of Hogwarts is threatened. If there was ever a time to unify, it is now, in this dark hour. If these attacks cannot be stopped... Then I am afraid that the school may need to be closed." Uncle Neville spoke mournfully.<p>

He seemed to be gearing himself up for another leg of a speech, but his voice constricted within his throat, and he sat down. Albus watched him carefully, and saw how his eyes had a thin rim of red around them. Uncle Neville, the man legendary for leading the famed Dumbledore's Army and chopping the head of some bloody snake, had been reduced to tears. Albus supposed he should have expected it.

After all, Justin was Uncle Neville's son, and Justin was in a state just like Bane's. And who knew if he would ever-

The food appeared.

Albus ate, but not because he wanted to. He needed to keep his strength up, after all. He had to, for James.

He had to find that thing that hurt his brother.

He had to find it, and take it down.

Albus Potter had never been a vengeful person, but, right now, the feeling ripping through his chest, beating in his heart, screaming in his senses. It was a dangerous feeling indeed, and it was a side of Albus that rarely came out. A side that was more aggressive and angry, a contrast to the usually peaceful boy.

He closed his eyes for a bit, shaking his head.

James was going to be alright. He had to be. He _had _to be.

* * *

><p>Christmas vacation came.<p>

Which meant Albus' birthday was coming up.

Sometimes, he wondered if his parents had planned for Albus' birth to be on the Winter Solstice. Regardless, that was the exact date his birthday fell upon, a few days before Christmas. Which meant he never really got any birthday presents, but he didn't mind.

Especially not this year.

Albus didn't smile through it. His mind was locked on the comatose James, praying his brother would wake up, praying his brother would be alright. The Healers had already come, had already told him that they expected James to make a full recovery. They just insisted that all he needed was rest, that all James needed was rest, but Albus knew he wouldn't be able to smile again until his brother was alright, until he was up and kicking it again and being his usual annoying-ass pranking self.

Ginny walked in to the room, and a sad smile played on her lips. She wanted to cry, but held strong. Albus' head was lolled over on the bed, practically laying on top of his brother. He was snoring softly, and, for the first time in days, her youngest son looked at peace. She glanced up to James, and her heart gave a brutal wrench.

She wished it was her, on that bed, her that the thing in the school had come after. Part of her didn't want to let either of her boys walk back into that school, but she knew she had to. There was worry and panic everywhere. That was what that thing wanted. And she'd be damned if they just layed back and took it without a word, without a single attempt to fight back.

Ginny took a blanket, and covered Albus with it, then walked out the door, swearing to herself that when she found the thing that hurt her boys, there would be hell to pay.

Albus woke up with a small groan. Had he fallen asleep last night? He hadn't meant to. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time he slept, truly slept. It had been long. Far too long.

A couple of days?

A week?

Who knows. All he knew was that he had to keep James company. Never mind how pale his skin was getting and how mum had to on more than one occasion force food down his uncooperative throat.

Sleepily, he blinked several times as his vision cleared- as much as one's vision can clear when they're practically half blind- and the image before him made him jump into alertness.

"Whe'... Where... Am... Ami.. Ami.." Ami? What? Was he trying to say 'Amy'? Albus didn't even know James knew an Amy. "Am I..." James finally managed.

Oh. That made more sense.

"James!" Albus cried and wrapped his arms around his brother in a bone crushing hug.

"Owe! Al-... It... Hur..." James tried to speak.

Albus, getting the message, leaned back. "Sorry." he said, but he couldn't help the Cheshire Cat grin that creeped its way onto his face.

"Albus, Al, what's wrong, is he-" mum ran into the room, a dirty apron wrapped around her waist, her hair a little dirty and a sponge in her hand. Ever since what had happened to James, she's taken to spending every minute of every hour of every day attempting to scrub down all traces of grim all over the house. Apparently, cleaing distracted her.

Then, taking in the sight of her oldest, gazing back at her through lethargic eyes, a sponge dropped to the ground and mum walked up slowly before wrapping James in a gentle hug, a small sob escaping her lips.

"Mum.. Wha' happ'en." James grumbled.

"Shh, sweetie. Don't talk." mum scolded, before turning to Albus. "Water. Kithcen. Go!"

Albus nodded and rushed off to get the water.

Again, the days after that were like a blur. James was slowly recovering. His Healer, Madam Zeller, a witch who couldn't have been more than five years younger than mum and dad, stated he should be up and running again within a few days and that his body was merely in aftershock at this point. In other words, James was fine. Just really. Really. Tired.

The holiday itself passed over like a haze.

Rose, at last, didn't look like she was mad at her mother. Albus assumed they had talked it out, but there was something else. As Rose ate, she looked scared. No one else would have been able to tell, but Albus had spent practically every waking moment of his short few months at Hogwarts, and he knew her.

Aunt Hermione seemed to sense something as well, but, if she did, she didn't comment on it.

When he asked her what was wrong, she turned, and looked at him through big glassy eyes that seemed strangely blank. "Something's coming, Al. Something big. And I'm scared."

And, with those crytic words, she turned away and continued eating her dinner.

Albus still didn't know what the papers Rose had tried to show him back in the Medical Ward where, and, frankly, he didn't care. Okay, so maybe his curiosity had been spiked just a tad bit, but he did not care, he did not want to know. Nope, not at all, not in the slightest.

Aunt Hermione gave a small prayer before she began to eat.

The food prepared by Grandma was always the best in the world, and, for a moment, in the joys of food, Albus forgot about all else. He forgot everything going on around him. He forgot about what was happening in the school. He forgot that his dad would be gone the following day, as Aurors and hit-wizards had been combing up and down the school endlessly after the incident in the Gryffindor Common Room.

No one talked about it, here at the Burrow.

They were outside, not fitting inside.

While the old building was bigger and more secure than it had previously been, the Burrow was still nearly identical to what it had once been years ago. To simply put, there were too many memories etched in that rickety little tower of wood and splinters, memories Grans didn't want to let go off.

The table was alive with chatter and jokes.

Albus smiled. He hadn't smiled like this in a while, hadn't let himself enjoy himself, but, at the moment, it was all he wanted to do. Sure, James was still a little slower than usual, but he was back on his feet nonetheless.

They opened their presents after that.

It didn't have the usual Christmas cheer around it, but it was a time with family, and that was what truly mattered in the end.

Uncle Neville was suppose to show with Aunt Hannah, but at the last second they'd sent an owl. They'd decided they were going to spend the holiday at St. Mungo's, with Justin. No one was really surprised by this unexpected turn of events.

As night descended upon them, the Potters were forced to leave. Grans gave each of them a bone crushing hug before they departed, and then, they were off.

"Albus." a voice called as Albus was making his way to his room, his eyes sleepy and bleary. He was dressed clad in his pajamas, and had just left the bathroom.

Albus turned and looked at his father, who motioned him to come. Albus eyed him a little suspiciously, remembering how the monster had impersonated Justin, but this was dad. That, and he doubted the thing could get into their house in the first place. So, he stood, and went to him.

Dad led him to his study. Books lined the wall, but Albus knew most were just for show, if the dust on the bookshelves was anything to go by. There was the rare occasion when dad actually did end up pulling a Hermione and actually sat down to read one of his extensive volumes, but those times were rare indeed.

He rounded his desk, knelt, and opened a drawer. Dad pulled out an old silver cloak. It looked a little frayed, but was still brilliant. It looked and smelled like it had been in that particular drawer for years.

"What is that?" Albus asked, his eyes scrunched up in curiosity. Dad looked up.

"I could tell you, or," he began before draping the cloak over himself. Albus nearly jumped a mile in the air. "I could just show you." his now invisible father finished.

Once Albus had gotten over his momentary shock, he spoke, awestruck. "What is that thing?"

Dad tossed off the cloak, grinned, and set it on the desk. "This," he began, his fingers threading through the silver silk, "Is my invisibility cloak." he answered. "Or was."

Albus looked at him confused. Was?

Dad picked up the cloak and tossed it to Albus.

Incredulously, Albus glanced down at the object he had caught, looking up at his father with stunned eyes. "Me? You're giving this... To me?"

"Potter family tradition." dad smirked a little before leaning back on his desk, crossing his arms in a very none-professional manner. He looked tired. Dead tired. Albus was sure his dad had rested less than he had. Hell, he was sure his dad had searched up and down the castle several times, to no result, because whatever that thing was, it covered it's tracks, and it covered them good.

"I- I can keep it?" Albus was amazed as he felt the object in his hands. This was amazing. The best gift ever. He loved it.

"Yup." dad grinned. "And, I want you to do something."

Oh. Great. The catch. Why is there always a catch?

"And what exactly is that?" Albus stated suspiciously, looking up at last to stare into a pair of eyes so much like his own.

Dad picked up a piece of paper, scribled on it, and handed it to Albus. "Be there. Midnight. Third day back. Bring Rose, if you need to."

Albus glanced down, confusion etched in his eyes before looking back up. "Why, exactly?"

"Because, you're a Potter and a Weasley mixed in one. Whatever's in the school, I want you to be prepared- if, and only _if _it comes after you, understand? I don't want you to go looking for it, you got that?"

"Yes sir." Albus nodded resolutely.

"Good. Now, get going before everyone starts wondering where we ran off to. And keep that cloak away from your brother, the hell he'd cause with it..." dad patted him on the back and grinned at the end, and Albus couldn't help but laugh. There was no denying how chaotic his brother could be.

Albus turned and walked out the door, heading straight for his room.

Harry gave a great sigh, his eyes still locked on the door where his son had just walked through.

"You're sure it'll go after him?" he whispered into the darkness.

Out of the shadows, a figure showed itself. His eyes were also locked on the now closed door. "Yes. Yes, I'm sure. And, if the boy runs, it will hunt him."

Harry closed his eyes, and felt like banging his head against a table.

His son was in danger, and he couldn't pull him out of it. But, the least he could do was prepare him, just in case, just in case the worst came smashing down upon them.

"Do you at least know what it is? What's after my son? Can you tell me that?" Harry asked, eyes still closed.

"Not human." was the cryptic reply, and, with a small barely audible pop, the man was gone.

This time, Harry really did hit something.


	15. Tall, Strange, and Not so Magical

A/N: I shall admit. This chapter is rather... Sloppy. Sorry about that! It was really hard to write for some reason. I went over it a few times, and, while I still don't like the results, here you have it.

Maybe four more chapters before we get to the conclusion. I might end up hitting 20, but I doubt I'll get a word past 25.

It's short too. Many apologizes! Just so you all know, the thing/creature is not what they say it is in this chapter, but it is some sort of creature from actually mythology if any of you want to try and decipher what it is.

Anyways, on with the story.

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><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>

**Tall, Strange, and Not so Magical**

The return to Hogwarts was... Well. Strange. The general attitude of the Gryffindor house as the whole was unification. Everyone seemed determined to take care of everyone. No lion walked alone through the halls. And, they didn't go in pairs either. The groups that marched up and down were large, usually containing well over a dozen, with at least one Seventh year present in each group.

Albus observed his fellow house mates and noted how they treated Rose... Differently. All the backlash she had been getting all year seemed to have died down. Not just died down, but it had gained such a rapid change it bordered on bipolar disorder. They seemed to be trying to make up for past mistakes, something that seriously pissed Rose off.

She didn't like them treating her different, whether in positive or negative light, and, at the moment, all the attention was seriously ticking her off. The only thing she did generally accept and appreciate were apologies, which seemed to be coming from anywhere and everywhere.

Even Maria Anna Lestrange, the Slytherin girl that had cursed Rose's potions book, walked up to apologize, which was a big surprise to everyone.

Rose had no problem forgiving the girl, doing it in a heartbeat. Albus, however, was colder in response. That, and he could see it Rose's eyes. A part of her felt like she had deserved it all, which is why she was so quick to forgive.

Albus assumed that Rose's self-guilt was a direct result of how she had been treated. The school had kept it up for so long, for months, even, that she eventually began to feed into their words and, despite the glaring fact that she was guilty of nothing, it still got to her.

As Maria departed, she was glared at viciously by the other lions.

Somehow, Albus got the impression the girl was treated worse than Rose...

When Albus showed Rose the cloak his dad had given him, she gasped out loud. "Dad told me about that thing and all the adventures our parents had under it! Before mum smacked him, anyways..." Rose told Albus as she turned over the silky material in hand.

"There's more." Albus grinned.

"What?" she looked up.

Albus pulled dad's note, and handed it to her. She stared at it, and frowned. "Uncle Harry wants you do go down to the Hospital Wing? Tonight? Why?" she looked up at him.

In low words, Albus explained exactly what his father had told him. Her frown increased with each passing syllable.

"What?" Albus demanded when she remained silent, merely staring at the cloak in her hands.

"Nothing, nothing..." she lied.

Now it was Albus' turn to frown. But, in the end, he decided it really didn't matter too much. Instead, he asked what was really on his mind. "So... Do you want to go?" he asked her casually. It wasn't that Albus had something against going alone. Of course he wasn't scared, not at all. Not even for a second.

Rose saw through the act in a heartbeat, but, being Rose, she decided not to comment and merely nodded.

Albus still hadn't asked her what she had tried to show him before the winter break, and she hadn't brought it up since then.

A few hours later found the two cousins sneaking their way out of Gryffindor common room. Luckily, James was asleep. In fact, he'd been sleeping more and more lately. While Rose and the other victims of the attack recovered quickly, James was far slower- the creature had concentrated on him, after all.

There were hoards upon hoards of teachers and aurors patrolling the halls. Always in groups of three, up and down each corridor. There were several close calls, but, in the end, Albus and Rose got through.

The door was, conveniently, opened just a sliver. No doubt it was dad's doing.

Albus and Rose slipped through into the Hospital Wing. It was empty, save one bed, and the person standing next to it. Justin's still sleeping form. Albus frowned. Hadn't he been transferred to St. Mungo's?

"Who is that?" Rose hissed, pointing at the mysterious stranger examining their cousin. The man wore strange clothes. He was tall, gigantically so. Albus estimated maybe around 6 and a half feet tall, but, he could be off by a few inches. The only person he knew taller than that was Hagrid, and Hagrid was a half-giant.

But, the most surprising thing of the man was the attire.

He was dressed clad in Muggle jeans and what appeared, from the back, to be a flannel shirt. Albus frowned. This man didn't look to be a wizard, not at all.

The second Rose's words left her lips, the man froze, halting all movement. Rose's eyes widened. Had the man heard that? Suddenly, the man had spun around full circle, and was pointing an odd metallic object in their direction. Hazel eyes burned with fire, long hair framing his face. "I know you're there." he claimed. Rose gasped a little, recognizing the weapon.

This was definitely _not _a wizard, because, since when did wizards carry guns?

"If you don't reveal yourself, I swear, I will pull this trigger." he threatened.

Albus and Rose exchanged looks before doing as the man asked. They tossed off the cloak, and his eyes widened. He seemed to recognize them. Glancing at the door, he looked back at them. "Quick, hide! Against the wall, make no noise!"

Again, the two cousins were confused by the strangers actions but did as he asked nonetheless. They draped the cloak over themselves and scooted against where he had pointed, straying silent as can be. Rose frowned a little as she stared at the stranger. Most people, she could read with just a glance, something she had always prided herself with. This one, however... Try as she might, his movements only showed one thing- pain. Overwhelming pain, and all else was masked under that pain.

Then, the doors to Madam Patil's office opened, but out of it did not walk Madam Patil herself, but, instead, two others. Dad, and another mysterious stranger dressed like the first. This one was not nearly as tall as the first, but he was taller than dad by maybe an inch or two, and had short dark blond hair and eyes the color of moss.

Two Muggles, in Hogwarts? What was going on?

"I swear, Harry, if we didn't owe you for saving our asses... I swear to God..." the one walking next to dad stated, shaking his head.

The taller man shot the 'shorter' man a look for this.

"I know the both of you are... Uncomfortable amongst our kind, but I didn't know where else to turn." dad spoke, shooting both males apologetic looks. "I mean, I may have fought against the dark arts myself for many years, but, this... I just don't know what it is."

Shortie looked to gigantor.

"Well? What's the verdict, doc?"

Albus then noted the odd accents both had. They spoke in English, but he could tell one crucial thing; they were not from this part of the world. In fact, they spoke almost exactly like... Wait... Who? Oh, wait! Umm... Of course, the American Ambassador dad had over for dinner that one time- wait, what?

"My guess? Shtriga." tall, big, and hairy replied, looking back down at the body.

Rose barely contained a small gasp that escaped her lips. The shorter of the two strangers twitched, as if he had somehow caught on to the noise. It wasn't her, though. It was the body of the kid before him.

"And what exactly is that?" Harry asked.

"Well, they walk around, disguise themselves, and feed of souls. It's a soul feeder. One sick son of a bitch, I tell yeah." blondie hissed in evident disgust.

"I see..." dad nodded slowly. "These... Shtrigas... Can they survive being tossed off a tower?"

The two strangers exchanged looks. They seemed shocked, and just a bit scared, before they looked back at dad. "You warded this place up, right?"

Albus frowned. He thought Hogwarts was already one of the most protected sites on the planet, covered in endless defensive enchantments. What did they mean, 'warded' it up? What?

"There wasn't much to do, really. I carved a few of those sigils of yours, but the rest was already there. This place is older than it looks, you know. The magic here is immense."

Blondie shuddered. Again.

Which caused gigantor to shoot him an exasperated look.

"What? Look, I got nothing against Harry and all, but magic still creeps the hell out of me!" he defended.

The two first years exchanged looks of utter confusion under the cloak. Who were these people? They obviously weren't wizards, and shortie just bluntly declared he hated magic. Well, kind of. He seemed to be avoiding that particular word, but, still...

Dad gave a sigh. "Look, I called the two of you here since you know more about all this obscure crap more than I do. Do you have any idea what might have done this?"

The other pair exchanged looks... Yet again. It seemed almost as if they were having a conversation through looks alone. How that work, Albus had no idea, but it seemed to function for the pair. Hagrid's possible long lost cousin was the one to finally answer.

"Some sort of hybrid, maybe? We don't have much to go on. But, so far, it seems like a type of soul feeder. Which means that, in order to revive the victims..."

"I need to?"

"Kill the damn thing."

"And how do I do that?"

"Well, if it's a Shtriga, you need to get it with iron."

"Iron? That's it? Wow. Simple enough, than-"

"That's not all." the short haired one interrupted.

Dad frowned. "What?"

The two strangers yet again looked at one another, then, they did something that usually made any of the past generation of Weasleys twitch uncomfortably, as it reminded them all of a certain pair of twins. They talked in unison, completing each others sentences with chilling accuracy.

"If it is a Shtriga,"

"Then you can only hurt it when,"

"It's feeding on someone."

The silence that followed was so tense it could have been cut through with a knife. Dad was silent for a few seconds, before he finally spoke.

"And if it's not this... Shtriga, then..."

"We have no idea." thing one and thing two answered in perfect unison, before turning to stare at one another incredulously at having said the exact same thing at the exact same time. Somehow, Albus doubted this was the first time that had happened, considering they were finishing each other's sentences.

A brief nod came from dad at the words, though you could see he looked ticked off. "Very well. Thanks again. Come on, I'll get the pair of you out of here."

"Thanks." shortstuff sighed in relief before all three exited.

Albus frowned. None of this made sense. One look at Rose told her none of it made sense to here either. This was suppose to be helpful? And what the heck was a Shtriga anyways?

Flabbergasted, Albus barely took note as Rose grabbed him by the shoulder and began the long trek back to the common room, her dragging him the entire way.


	16. Putting the Pieces Together

A/N: One person guessed the identity of the two Muggles. I said earlier that my SPN/HP Crossover would be a sort of back story to this. And, that was exactly why I said it. While those two won't be showing up much at all through the entire thing, they might make an occasional pop up here and there. I'm not going to toss in the whole angel/demon mess, though, so I'm not listing it as a crossover. As it really is just a Harry Potter story, without the elements of the other story involved.

I discovered I misspelled Shtriga in the last chapter as Shritiga. Sorry! Still, I feel like I'm ruining the story by saying this, but, the thing is not a Shtriga. Kind of like one, but not really.

Also, I'd like to thank you all for the feedback I got for the last chapter. I usually get one or two reviews for this story, the last chapter got double that. So, thanks again.

Anyways, on with the story.

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><p><strong>Chapter 16<strong>

**Putting the Pieces Together**

They returned back to the Gryffindor Common room in a daze. Rose tossed of the cloak, then, without looking at Albus, stormed up the steps to her dormitory.

"Quiet, you'll wake them all!" Albus snapped.

"Wha'- wha' was tha, Uncle Jillian?" The Fat Lady hiccuped in her slumber from behind him.

Rose looked back, nodded, then slowed her steps.

She was rushing something.

Albus frowned. What exactly was his cousin up to this time?

Rose was gone for approximately three minutes before she returned back down, a stack of papers in her hands- the same stack of papers she had had the day Albus had visited James in the Hospital Wing.

She placed them down on the table, and motioned for Albus to sit beside her.

"Will you light the fire, please?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure." Albus responded, drawing his wand and quickly shooting out a wisp of flame to aid the dying embers of the fireplace. It lit like a candle, illuminating them. Rose spread out the papers. Albus noted there were more than last time, and saw why.

Newspaper articles, both Muggle and Magical alike, seemed to have found their way into the mix, adding to the every growing mess of Rose's notes. While the girl was brilliant at putting the pieces together, she was terrible at organization.

Then, Rose plopped a book out seemingly out of nowhere, and opened it.

"What's all this?" Albus demanded.

In response, she simply shoved the papers in his direction, not even bothering to look up from the old musty tomb as she continued to flip through.

Albus picked one up, and glanced at the title.

_Massive Storm Engulfs Greek Islands. _

Below was a picture of trees blown away and tidal waves crashing down on a beach front where a man, who, for some bizarre reason, was holding an ice cream cone, watched on. It was a Muggle article, as proven by the none-moving pictures.

He picked up another piece of paper, but this one was covered in notes. There was no title on it, and Albus noted, as he read through, that it was every mysterious thing that had happened this year thus far.

_Headless Hunt Crashes the Sorting_

_Chimera in the Seventh Hall Corridor_

_Professor Verus and Hawthorn_

_Kidnapping of McGonagall_

_Attack on the Gryffindor Common Room_

Those were simply the main ideas. Rose had taken to even scribbling down that the faucet in the girl's bathroom was faulty...

Albus frowned as he looked up. Rose was letting herself get far too obsessed with this...

"Aha!" Rose cried out, looking up. "Shtriga, a species of dark creature closely related to the Dementor. A Shtriga, while not as deadly or as powerful as a Dementor, can be far more dangerous due to the ability to easily blend into surroundings. Native to Albania, the Shtriga's were comenly believed to be vampiric witches by the locals that would feed on children and turn them into... Well, that's rather... Odd. These Muggles sure are creative..."

"What?" Albus asked, curious, as he tried to read it upside down.

Rose smirked at him before she continued. "Muggles typically believed Shtriga would feed of the life force of a child, before turning themselves into an insect and flying away. The only known cure was to force a Shtriga to spit into the mouth of one of their victims." Albus raised eyebrow at the last part. So. If they wanted to save Justin. All they had to do was force the thing to... Spit in his mouth?

Albus was suddenly hit with a bizarre urge to laugh inappropriately...

"Shtrigas are known to be capable of performing powerful glamor charms on the self, rendering them impossible to distinguish from other beings. They were typically believed to take the shape of an old woman, the crone. This was, however, false. Shtriga feed of the life essence of individuals. Victims experience long-induced comas before death, and the only known way to truly revive them is with the destruction of the Shtriga that cursed them." Rose read.

"So, it can disguise itself." Albus said.

Rose nodded, before looking up. "This... Shtriga thing is in the school. It could be literally anyone. We have to watch out for it-"

"If it's a Shtriga." Albus corrected.

Rose frowned as she closed the book, making sure to place a mark on the page first. "No, it is a Shtriga. All the signs point there."

"Didn't you see the faces of those two Muggles when dad said it got flung off a buil-"

"What in Merlin's name are you two doing up so late."

Both Albus and Rose jumped, before turning, being met with the scorching glare of Muller, the Prefect Rose, in her anger, had attacked. Uh oh...

"And what's this?" he advanced, looking at the table.

"Notes." Rose lied as she began to gather her things.

Muller held out a hand. "Let me see them. _Now." _he commanded.

Rose held firmly on, and the Prefect advanced...

"_Flipendo!" _Albus cast. Muller was caught by surprise, and the Knockback jinx hit him hard. Next thing he knew, he'd slammed into the wall, with a well sized red lump on his head. Rose gasped and turned to stare at Albus.

"You attacked a Prefect!" she said, her eyes wide.

"You attacked him first!" Albus reminded. "Now, get rid of that... Stuff. Hide it somewhere they won't find it, before he comes to."

Rose still seemed locked in place.

Albus, rolling his eyes, moved to do it himself. She didn't even protest as he took the things. Then, he looked around, a sudden idea popping into his head. Albus walked up next to the couch, pulled out his wand, and cast a quick severing charm. He opened it up to place the materials within, when he found something else hidden in there already.

Frowning, Albus pulled the parchment out.

_The Shadow Strikes at Midnight, the Night the Great Star Dies._

Albus frowned at the paper, nearly tossing it away. Then, thinking better of it, he decided to slip it into his pocket, before placing Rose's things in the couch. One quick charm later, good as new.

Albus smiled at his handy work, before looking up at Rose.

"You... Attacked... A prefect..." she repeated.

"Yeah, yeah, I've noticed. Come on, before super cop over there decides it's time to wakey wakey." Albus said.

The two cousins did just that, rushing up their perspective dormitories. A figure stepped out of the dark. This one was not like the first, he was not like the thing that had attacked Justin and so many others. No, he was different. He was different, and he was worse in many ways. It was the same man that Albus had seen in Diagon Alley, months prior.

The man walked up to Muller, and knelt before the Prefect. One quick memory charm later, and the man stood. Faster than the eye could see, he was gone. Like a wisp of air, he was gone. He hadn't apparated, because you can't apparate inside Hogwarts grounds... Unless you happen to be a House-Elf. What he had done, however, was far different yet so similar at the same time.

There were things to set in motion, people to see, things to do, yadda yadda yadda.

* * *

><p>The next morning, the general flow of the school had begun. Quidditch was on everyone's mind, despite everything else. It seemed they needed this. They needed a distraction from the darkness, needed an out, needed something to make them all forget the pain enveloping them.<p>

For Albus, it was more confusion than pain. Sure, he was mad, and hurt, after everything that had happened, but confusion and curiosity seemed to dominate his mental state. He wanted to know who, and what, did this.

He was sure it wasn't this 'Shtriga' thing. In fact, he was sure that whatever this was was not in any books. This was something big, he could feel it. The thing had infiltrated _Hogwarts, _of all places. A Shtriga just didn't sound powerful enough to pull that one off.

Rose, on the other hand, was convinced that a Shtriga was exactly what they were dealing with, and had taken to carrying a small slab of pure iron around with her everywhere she went. That was, of course, until Professor Flitwick discovered it and confiscated it, stating that pure iron interfered with magical waves. When Albus asked why, Professor Flitwick went into a detailed explanation involving magical, electric, and magnetic field forces, fully forgetting he was talking to a pair of first years, both of whom fell asleep on him.

They were sitting in Professor Bane's class- with Professor Vector subbing- when Scorpius confronted them.

"You two know something." he said point blank.

"Go away, snake." Rose snapped.

"Stay, snake." Albus countered.

Rose glared at him for this.

Scorpius took a seat, ignoring the seething Rose.

"What's this about?" Albus questioned. There had to be a reason Scorpius was coming to them, now of all times.

"Theo. Something's up. He won't tell, but I know he knows something. And that Chimera thing's been bugging me since we first got a peak and big, hairy, and ugly." Scorpius responded even as he began dealing cards he'd fished out from and began sliding them across the table, quickly setting up for a game of Exploding Snap.

Nico, seemingly out of thin air, appeared next to Scorpius as he too sat down. "And, we also know about what happened last night." Nico continued.

"And what exactly was that?" Albus tried to play it cool as he took his cards and began to play, but, at this point, he was growing nervous. How could the two Slytherins possibly know something had happened last night?

"That Justin boy got transferred back here a little after noon. Come to check in the morning, he's gone. Now, doesn't that seem slightly suspicious to you?" Scorpius spoke, even as he beat Albus' hand in a shower of sparks.

"That's none of your business, Malfoy." Rose snapped.

"I don't think I asked you, now, did I, Weasley?" Scorpius countered with venom.

Both glared at one another.

"Will they ever stop flirting?" Nico whispered to Albus, who couldn't help but snort, earning two scorching glares for his troubles.

"Shut it!" the snake and the lioness snapped in unison.

"Alright, lovebirds, quit it! We have a serious issue at hand!" Albus snapped at the two of them, causing them to turn their glares upon him. The effect was completely ruined by the burning red blush crawling up and down their cheeks, however.

"Fine then. What have the two of you found?" Scorpius inquired.

"None of you business." Rose snapped.

"We believe the Chimera is guarding something. We also think that the thing that attacked McGonagall, Bane, and the others is the thing the Chimera is guarding against." Albus answered without trepidation.

Rose glared at him for this.

Scorpius nodded. "Makes sense." he concluded.

"Do you know who the thing belongs to?" Nico asked.

"No." Rose said bluntly.

"I have an idea or two." Albus contradicted.

"Who?" Rose looked at him confused, genuinely confused now.

"Who else would have a pet Chimera, Rose?" Albus pointed out.

Realization hit her like a freight train. The other two, however, remained completely oblivious.

"Who!" they demanded.

"We should go see him, see if he knows anything." Rose concluded.

"We should." Albus nodded.

"We should what?" Scorpius, inpatient now at being left out of the loop, demanded.

"The four of you should be working on your potions assignment! Now, give me those cards!" Professor Vector snarled as she stormed over to them. With a wave of her wand, the cards were all in her hands. Then, she separated the four of them to do their work.

But, the plan, if it could be called that, was set.

Little did they know that there was a traitor in their midst...


	17. When You Least Expect It

A/N; It has been a month. Sorry people! I actually did have this chapter ready for a while. But, the internet died, so I couldn't post it. But, it's back, and back for good this time. So, this won't happen again... Hopefully.

You all guessed wrong. As I knew you would.

Anyways, on with the story.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 17<strong>

**When You Least Expect It**

The walk down to Hagrid's felt awkward... Strange.

Why, Albus couldn't place his finger on it.

Maybe it was all the looks they were getting? After all, a Slytherin, walking side by side too Gryffindors? The son of Malfoy, alongside the spawn of Potter, Weasley, and Granger? The children of sworn enemies in a past generation, allied together.

They had chosen a very special day to come down. Albus felt almost guilty about it, but, it had to be done. They'd come down on the day James was auditioning for the Gryffindor team. So, of course, dozens upon dozens were down at the Quidditch pitch to see if the son lived up to the legend. It wasn't so much the other students Albus was avoiding, but James himself.

James wouldn't take too kindly to seeing his brother with a Slytherin, after all...

Quidditch try outs were suppose to have taken place weeks ago. But, with all the chaos with McGonagall, they'd barely now gotten around to it. So, even if James did make the team, he'd be more than likely sent to the reserve, as the Quidditch season had already begun.

Scorpius was accompanying them on their trek down the grounds, and, once he saw where they were going, his pale face somehow managed to become even paler. Like freshly fallen snow, only dirtier with a sick look to it, sort of like ice laced with a mysterious yellow substance.

"We're not going... There," he pointed at the small tiny hut in the distance, "Are we?"

"Hagrid's? Of course. Where'd you think we were going?" Albus questioned.

Scorpius did not answer. Instead, he looked away, trying hard not to let the undiluted fear he felt coursing through his entire frame show.

"You aren't scared of Hagrid... Are you?" Rose said slowly, trying very, very hard not to laugh outloud at the ludicrous idea.

"Am not!" Scorpius snapped, glaring, cheeks flaring.

Albus laughed, causing Scorpius to shift the glare to him.

"Do you want to stay behind?" Rose asked casually.

Scorpius shot a glance at Hagrid's hut, then back at the two cousins. His pale face was lit with fear, but determination.

"My father will hear about this..." he grumbled under his breath, but continued forth regardless.

Albus stared at the other in wonder at the statement, but chose not to comment.

Finally, the trio arrived at the door. Albus knocked swiftly and determinedly, patiently awaiting the reply.

"Who be- Oh, it's you two, was wonderin' when you'd come by. Come in!" the half-giant beckoned them in with a large smile lighting his ancient looking face, his dark eyes twinkling. He noticed Scorpius at the last second, and raised eyebrow. Scorpius could barely contain the whimper that threatened to escape his lips.

Hagrid was half-giant.

He was also tall, menacing, and gigantic.

While he might be more... Peaceful... Than his non-human cousins, he was still, regardless of that, half-giant. And the giant half could be very aggressive when provoked. Scorpius really would prefer not to be here, but he wasn't about to back down no. He was too stubborn for that. He'd come this far, seeking answers, and no dim-witted half-breed was going to stop him now.

So, he walked straight in, not daring to look the monstrosity in the eyes. Hagrid found this behavior strange, and that a Malfoy would enter his hut even stranger, but he chose not to comment. Contrary to popular Pureblood Supremacist belief, Hagrid did have some intelligence.

"Thanks." Albus spoke as he passed the threshold. The trio of allies sat down at the table as Hagrid smiled and went back to his stove. "Anything you'd like?" he called.

"Ye-" Albus began.

"No thanks!" Rose interrupted as she elbowed him.

Scorpius rolled his eyes at the Gryffindor behavior.

"Owe!" Albus hissed.

"Dad said never to eat Hagrid's food unless you want to end up with a row of broken teeth!" she whispered.

Scorpius stared for a second before snorting loudly.

Causing Hagrid to turn his attention on the young Slytherin.

Instantly, the laugh became a choked cough.

"Yeh alrigh' there, Malfoy?" Hagrid asked, concerned.

"Just... Peachy." Scorpius managed to spit out as he calmed himself.

Hagrid turned, grabbed a cup, and quickly filled it with water, before offering it to Scorpius, who shook his head but, Pureblood manners intact, said a quick 'thank you'. Hagrid nodded and put it back, grabbing a separate plate for himself.

"Alrigh' then." Hagrid said as he turned and sat down himself with a couple of rock cakes. "Wha' brings the pair of yeh down here?" he asked, cutting to the chase. He seemed to know to factor Scorpius out of the equation instinctively. Of course, it was rather obvious, with the way Scorpius was adverting the others gaze and was looking fixedly at the floor, wishing he hadn't come here in the first place.

It took him a few seconds to realize exactly how he had acted, and, once it clicked, he internally groaned.

He'd acted. Like a bloody Gryffindor. _Damn!, _he internally cursed.

"We wanted to visit you." Albus broke the silence with his lame response which made Albus roll his eyes once more. Yeah. Of course that was why they came. Stupid lions.

Hagrid snorted, coming to the same conclusion, albeit with different words in his mind."Yah, right. On the same day yer brother is tryin' out for tha team? I been teachin at this school mighty long, you get to know all the tricks. What brings yeh here?" he asked again.

Albus blushed crimson. A small part of him felt guilty, knowing Hagrid was right. He and rose hadn't come to visit him all year, despite Hagrid being an old family friend. And the second they actually did, the other knew it wasn't just for a friendly chat.

Of course, there was the whole Scorpius factor, but still...

"Well?" he asked, arching one large eyebrow that probably had more hair then all the hair on Albus' little head put together.

"Why is there a chimera in the seventh hall corridor?" Rose said bluntly.

Hagrid spluttered, chocked on his tea, and spat out a bit of rock cake he'd been eating. "Jus' like yer parents, the pair of yah..." Hagrid grumbled before looking the two of us in the eye. "How do yeh know about Lee Lee?" he demanded.

Silence.

"LEE LEE! You actually named that monstrosity _Lee Lee? _Merlin, you really are mental!" Scorpius exploded, momentarily loosing the fear he had felt in the beginning as he glared at Hagrid.

A small prat of Albus' brain screamed only Hagrid at hearing the ridiculous name...

"So, yeh saw her too." Hagrid now knew why Malfoy's spawn walked within his hut. It had been strange, at first, and was still odd, but at least it made sense now.

Scorpius shook his head at the other, his lips pursed as he chose not to speak once more, lest the half-giant decide Malfoy-stew would be a good meal to feed the Hypogriffs. Scorpius was well aware of the wild Hippogriff that had attacked his father years ago under the oaf's command.

"You named it... Her... Lee Lee?" Albus addressed Hagrid, sensing more screams on the verge of bursting. Hagrid turned to him quickly.

"Yeah, Lee Lee. Bought her in a trip down to Greece. Fascenatin' creatures, mind yeh." Hagrid said with a dreamy smile at the concept of a man eating, fire breathing chimera. Again, Albus' mind screamed the words _only Hagrid_.

"It tried to eat us for breakfast." Scorpius stated bluntly in evident disgust.

Silence.

"What!" Hagrid roared as he stood. "Wha' in the name are the three of yeh doin down there anyways, yeh aren't suppose te be-"

"The stairs took us there!" Rose snapped. "We didn't know..." the last part she said with a shudder. It was strange, seeing Rose Weasley of all people, showing even an once of fear. It was unnatural, strange, alien.

Hagrid simply stood there, staring at the three of them. "Buh tha- bu' tha.. The stairs don' even lead to tha corridor!" he said, his mind obviously racing.

"Then how did we end up in it?" Albus countered.

_My father will hear about this, my father will hear about this, my father... _The mantra repeated, over and over, in the mind of the Slytherin.

Hagrid had no answer, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "I don' know.. But yeh best stay away from Lee Lee unless yeh got a death wish." Hagrid told us.

"Why is Lee Lee there in the first place?" Albus demanded.

"Now, I tol' yer parents the exact same thin' years ago, and I tell it to yeh now; there are things not to be meddled with, an' this is one of them." Hagrid told him sternly.

Scorpius stood.

"My father-"

"Will hear abou' this, I know, I know. Get, Malfoy." Hagrid waved him off impatiently.

Scorpius stared, flabbergasted, as Albus and Rose both snorted.

A few minutes later, the three exited the hut, Scorpius complaining the entire way. Soon, he and Rose began to bicker, much to Albus' annoyance.

"ALBUS!" a voice boomed, causing the three first years to jump.

All of them turned to a limping James, making his way towards them, bright brown eyes burning with fury.

"Jam-" Albus began.

He was interrupted as his brother grabbed his arm roughly and began pulling him along.

"What the bloody-" Albus cursed.

"_Silencio._"

Albus gasped and glared, no longer able to speak. He silently wondered his his brother had managed to master the silencing charm at such a young age, when Albus himself was sure it was somewhere past second year level. Then again, James always did manage to do whatever he set his mind to. Which usually resulted in chaotic results due to his prankster nature.

"James, let him go!" Rose snapped, coming up behind them.

James rounded on her with a look in his eyes fit for a wild ravaged wolf, causing her to recoil back a step. He lifted a single finger, and pointed at her.

"You stay out of this." James told her in a very slow, very venomous, very dangerous tone.

Rose, never one to back down, stood her ground and glared right back.

Albus, for obvious reasons, could not speak. However, there were other ways of communication. Through his eyes, and through his face, he practically pleaded that Rose drop it.

Rose shot her cousin a brief look. She seemed contemplative, and her expression even softened for a second before she nodded. With one final glare at James, she departed.

James watched her leave, a red bushy mess of hair swaying in the air before he shot his brother another glare.

"Come on." he snapped, pulling Albus along. After a moment, James decided to lift the silencing charm, much to Albus' relief.

"What is this all about, James?" Albus sighed.

James did not answer as he pulled Albus along. They passed a corner, another, and, finally, entered an empty classroom. At last, James let go of Albus' arm, before turning, and grinning.

"How, dear brother, are my acting skills?"

Albus' jaw dropped.

"You faked that?" he'd been sure his brother had been furious over seeing Albus walking side by side with Malfoy.

"Half and half." James shrugged. Albus looked at him, confused. "I was annoyed about Malfoy, but... I'm your brother, not mum." James explained.

"Oh." was the brilliant well thought out response.

"I wanted to talk to you," James began, fishing something out his pocket, "About this." he opened up a worn piece of parchment. Albus raised eyebrow. James placed the parchment one of the many desks around them, took out his wand, and tapped it. Albus gasped as a map of Hogwarts appeared.

"Nicked it out of dad's study." James grinned as he opened up the map. Albus leaned forth to examine it.

"That's amazing." Albus whispered.

"I know." James spoke, his fingers trailing the map as he tried to find something specific on it. "I saw dad tinkering with the map a few years back. I honestly would have never seen it if I hadn't been hiding in the closet. Anyways, _Anima Revela._" James tapped as he found Rose and Scorpius. Instantly, Rose's dot became blue. Albus frowned. Next to her name appeared in clear script the words 'Imperius Curse'.

"What's the Imperius Curse?" Albus questioned.

"Mind control." James answered, looking up. Albus went pale as the words hit him.

"You mean..."

"Someone's controlling her at this very moment, and that Scorpius is in danger? Yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying."

"We have to tell the teachers!" Albus exclaimed, turned to move towards the door.

"Actually," James pulled on his brother's shoulder, forcing him to turn to face him. "You won't be telling anyone, 'dear brother'." James mocked, then smirked one last time as his eyes flashed a glowing cerulean blue.

Albus gasped, quickly realizing that the being before him was _not _his brother.

A hand met with his chest, and he went flying, slamming against the wall. He slid up it, trapped, as the other grinned at him, palm outstretched.

"You aren't my brother." Albus hissed, before he felt his airways become chocked. He couldn't breath. He gave out a whimpered gasp, attempting to get some air into his lungs, but his body would not heed the command, no matter how hard he tried.

"No..." blue-eyes stated as he walked forth, inching up until he was right in Albus' face. "But, he's in here with me. Wasn't easy. My kind, they usually don't posses people. Had to pull a few strings. But, you are quiet the prize, child. Not the one I was searching for, but, good enough. Now, sleep..."

Albus gasped one last time. Everything was going dark, and, try as he might, consciousness did not ail him. His eyes fell close, his head lolled to the side, and he fell in a heap to the floor below.

* * *

><p>It was Rose. Though, technically, she isn't a traitor as she has no choice in the matter. Anyways...<p>

Please review?

Adios peoples


	18. It's Time

A/N: Contrary to popular belief, yes, I am actually still a member of the living. Two months. Wow... That surprises me more than it does the rest of you, to be honest...

I could come up with some half-assed excuse as to why I haven't updated, but, as they say, the truth will set you free. Things have been pretty calm, I got lazy, and I just didn't feel like writing. Mix in that with the occassional attack of the ghost in our house(I'm actually not making this up, believe me or not. We have a ghost. An actual ghost. And, for some odd reason, he/she seems fixated at the concept of levitating and tossing fruit bowls at my skull... Why, I will never know...). Let's see... Ghost, crazy stepfathers, an army of children, and my newly found addiction to Smallville all amounted to my laziness. Mostly the Smallville factor, though, to be honest.

But, I have returned.

And, I'm shutting up now.

On with the story.

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><p><strong>Chapter 18<strong>

**It's Time**

Pit.

Pat.

Pit.

Pat.

Pop.

Pit.

Pap.

Pop.

Pit.

Pat.

Pop.

Albus frowned.

Pit-pat.

Pit-pat-pop.

Pit-pat-pop-pap.

What was that noise?

Deciding to ignore it, he attempted to roll over and press his face into the pillow.

That's when he noticed the chains binding him tightly, keeping him from even moving, digging into his wrists as his eyes shot open. That's also when he realized he was dangling from midair. That's when he noticed the dark, and his eyes lit with fear.

Where was he?

What happened?

Why was he here?

Tears.

They started falling from his face freely as terror overtook him.

James.

The monster had James.

The monster was possessing his brother.

Rose and Scorpius were in danger as well, a small part of his mind reminded him. But,t hat small part was drowned out in the sea of horror that was his own situation. How could he even possibly try thinking of others when he himself was bound and chained, left handing in the middle of some room?

Looking around, he noticed how massive the room just so happened to be.

They were probably somewhere under the school, but not in a place he had ever seen before.

Tears falling from his eyes, Albus screamed.

"Help! Please, somebody help! Please! Let me down, please! I didn't do anything to you, please... Please, just let me go... Please..." the little boy sobbed. Within seconds, his eyes were a bright red from all the water gushing out of his eyes. Why were they doing this to him? Why, why, why!

"Albus Severus Potter. The last time I laid eye on you, child, you were but a babe. How old? One, two? Or was it three? I really can't seem to recall."

At the voice, Albus' head shot towards his left. James. His back rested against the wall, arms crossed, watching comfortably as his little brother struggled against the bonds holding him.

"James!" Albus exclaimed, eyes lightning in hope. Then, taking in his brother's appearance, he grimaced.

Somehow, impossibly so, James looked worse off than Albus.

His eyes were shallow holes devoid of emotion, and the expression he wore. It was of the broken. The shattered. Those who had looked into the heart of darkness, straight on, and tried to fight it. Tried to remain strong. Those who had tried to conquer that darkness, and failed, ending broken images of their former selves.

"James, help me... Please, help me!"

No answer.

Just a blank stare.

"James!"

No answer.

"James!"

Albus was back to sobbing.

How could he not.

He was a child, strung up like a pinata in what possibly could be a torture dungeon, not that he knew what a torture dungeon in and of itself even was, but still. He didn't know what was going on, didn't know why it was happening, and it was a downright miracle he hadn't started hyperventilating by this point, or, by the very least, ended in ravaging panic attack.

He couldn't think straight.

He couldn't breath correctly.

Fear was all he knew, and it filled him to the brim.

And, his brother refused to let him down.

"James... Please, James... It hurts, please!" Albus begged, pulling at the chains and wincing in pain as result.

Then, James finally moved. Standing from is position of leaning up against the wall, he strode forward until he stood before Albus. Then, pulling his hand back, he slapped the boy clean across the face in a resounding clap.

That stung. It stung hard, and Albus gasped loudly in pain as a choked croak escaped his lips. Turning his head he stared at his brother with utmost fear.

"I am not your brother."

Then, the eyes. They flashed cerulean as blue overtook them completely like a blue flame. Albus tried to get away, but there was nowhere to run as a hand gripped his chin, forcing him to look into those eyes. They were glowing, and, if Albus wasn't sure his very short life was about to come to an abrupt end, he'd have been mesmerized by them.

"But, he's in here. In this body. Fighting me, against me. I look through his eyes as he does, I move his limbs as he remains trapped, powerless. Do you know? Do you know what it's like to be awake, to be conscious, and have no control? To be a slave, a puppet, completely to the will of another? It is not pleasant, child..." it spoke. It was speaking to Albus. And using his brother as a word-he-isn't-allowed-to-say-that-starts-with-f-and-ends-in-ing mouthpiece.

Suddenly, Albus wasn't so scared.

Suddenly, he was furious.

It must have been something in his blood, because, in seconds, he was screaming.

"GET OUT OF HIM! LEAVE HIM ALONE, YOU LEAVE MY BROTHER ALONE! GET... OUT... OF... HIM!" Albus bellowed. Once again, he was fighting against the restraints. Except, this time was different. His time, he wasn't trying to get down for himself, and he was oblivious to the pain. He didn't care. He was mad. He was angry.

He was murderous.

Twelve, and he felt murderous.

And, at the moment, it was only those chains keeping him bound that kept him from strangling the being before him.

"Believe me, I don't like this anymore than I do." the monster shook it's head in distaste, something Albus didn't buy for a second, so why was it even trying? "But, if you people would just give me what I need... It would make things oh so much more simple."

"GET OUT OF MY BROTHER, DAMN IT!" Albus ignored it.

"Silence, human." 'James' snapped his fingers, and Albus suddenly found himself mute. The loss of his voice, however, did not deter the death glare he sent the other in response.

"Al... Albus? Is that... Is that you?"

No. No, no, no. No, damn it, no! Not daring to look but unable to resist, Albus turned his head slowly to his left. He'd missed her the last time he had been looking around the room with frantic speed because, quite frankly, he was on the verge of a panic attack. And, the woman chained before him was a shadow of her former self. Shallow skin, hollow eyes. She looked undernourished. Not blatantly starved, but undernourished. She was wearing the same robes she'd been wearing the day of her disappearance, and they were filthy, drowned in dirt and smudges here and there, barely recognizable.

Minerva McGonagall.

He'd found her.

It disturbed him, how much she blended into the gray walls around him. At the sight, Albus' eyes welled with tears once more as he turned. Turned to stare at the one before him, his eyes pleading. Let us go. Please, let us go. Please, please, please.

"If you'll remain civilized, human, I'd be happy to give you control of your tongue once more." blue-eyes commented casually.

Slowly, Albus nodded.

Snap.

"Please... Let us go, please."

"I'm sorry. I truly am." the beast actually sounded sincere. For a moment, a spark of hope was there in the eyes of the child, but it was quickly broken by the being's next words. "But, I can't do that. I'm sorry, but I cannot, and I will not."

"Why?" Albus croaked.

"Because... You. You must be stopped."

"What the hell?"

"You're a monster. A monster, and you don't even know it."

In response, Albus glanced at McGonagall. The creature possessing his brother rolled it's eyes.

"It was a necessary evil. Not one I liked, but that one is crafty, more than the rest, even more than your father..." the being walked away from Albus before letting his hand grace lovingly across Professor McGonagall's cheek. Albus wanted to scream again, but the words got lost in his throat as he witnessed life practically flow into the older woman at the touch. Suddenly, her cheeks had a flare of color. Suddenly, she wasn't so gray anymore.

Suddenly, she didn't look like the living dead.

"Out of them all, only she was close to breaking the spell I placed. I made them forget. I made them all forget me. It wasn't that hard, and it needed to be done if this was to work. But this one. Her mind was stronger than I anticipated, and she fought more powerfully than the rest combined. So, here we are." the beast turned to stare at Albus once more.

"What spell?" the boy demanded while secretly plotting a way to get down from where he was currently bound.

"A memory spell, have you not been listening? I needed them to forget me. I needed them to forget it all. But, that's the thing about memory manipulation. You can never quiet succeed. You can travel back, change it all, yet, subconsciously, the memories remain. They are stored in more than the mind, they are stored within the spirit. How do you think ghosts remember their past lives, when they have no physical mind? But, it is not of import. You will die. That's what this is about, what it has _always _been about, and I'm done playing games."

Great.

Albus was locked and trapped by the crazy one with the shinning blue eyes. Did he mention that said crazy happened to be using his brother as a vessel? Or that none of this made any sense? Or that his head was pounding like crazy, or that the position he was currently in was making it really... Really... Really hard to even breath?

When Albus didn't speak, the beast continued.

"Your father, he's bound to remember soon. He pushed my hand, you know. And then this woman." he sneered in disgust at McGonagall's sleeping figure. "Refused to surrender the location o the wand, well... It will make this harder, more painful. The dagger would be the most merciful, but it was lost."

"Are... You... Mental!?" Albus finally manage to sputter out.

"Of course I am. You try living with the voices singing to you. They tell me things, terrible things. They tell me of you. They tell me of the doctor, but the doctor is gone. He's sick, and he's not coming back. The imposter takes his place but the birdies are none the wiser as he pillages their nests for moon dust."

Yup. The being possessing his brother was insane.

"Please... Just let me go.. Please, I didn't do anything-" Albus pleaded again, the tears still there. They weren't fake. His fear was real. The heart thudding in his chest was real. The utter terror in him was real, real, _real. _

Before he could blink, it was in front of him. In his brother's body, the beast gripped the back of Albus' head, pulling at his hair, pulling him forward to look into those burning azure eyes.

"But you will! It is only... A matter... Of when!" Albus shrieked in terror, his body shaking. He was shaking. Nightmares. He'd have nightmares for years over this event, of that he was sure of. "The voices have sung, the muses have cut, the great moose has declared it. You must be stopped. You must be stopped before your evil has a chance to fester, child. Believe me, it is not something I wish to commit, but something that, in the end, _must _be done. For the sake of the world, for the greater good, _you must die_!"

"YOUR INSANE!"

Smack.

"No, I'm realistic."

It let go of Albus' hair then turned walking around the room aimlessly, wandering here and there. "When the spell lifts, my mind will be healed. When the spell lifts. It affected me to, you know. I'm the subject, of course it affects me... The voices, they will not silence. They show me things. They show me Fate, Destiny, and Possibility. The stars have spoken, and have declared that there shall be no tea tonight for the one that rebelled for the red-headed girl."

Not only was this ting insane and demented, but, apparently, it also liked the sound of it's own voice.

"I don't know what you're talking about... But please, let me-" Albus began.

"I cannot. The Queen of Hearts would be much displeased should I fail her in this one task as the rabbit informs." it interrupted.

Albus' heart fell at the words. He closed this eyes. This had to be a nightmare. It had to be a nightmare, had to be a nightmare, had to, had to... This could not be real, this could not be real. This had to be an illusion, because it couldn't be happening.

What could he have done that was so horrible to provoke an act like this?

That's when the sobs started ripping through him with earnest. His body shook and com-pulsed as he wailed pitifully. They fell like a waterfall, endlessly. A rive, flowing from his eyes as his body shifted and groaned.

"Please! Please, don't do this, Please! PLEASE!"

"SILENCE!"

Snap.

And his voice was gone.

Albus whimpered pathetically.

"It is not what I, nor you, nor any of us want. The dark-haired one with the mark should have listened to me, he should have heard my voice when my hand first touched your skin! It was then that I saw, that the voices spoke! Like the elephant with the flower, only I can here them sing! I have seen a thousand possibilities, but they all end the same, it cannot be stopped."

Before Albus could blink, a hand was caressing his cheek like that of a lover. It repulsed him entirely and he nearly threw up right then and there. Only the innate knowledge that doing so would like result in his death kept him from actually doing so.

"You were born to kill, bred to destroy, created to bring suffering. You have no free will. The path you choose matters not, the end cannot be prevented. You are different then the rest, and I've seen. You will bring the world to it's knees, and this... This I need prevent." 'James' stroked his cheek, his eyes shinning with tears.

This thing was here telling Albus that he, Albus, was a monster and that he needed to be executed for that very reason, while stroking his cheek at the tragedy of it all. What. The. Hell.

"You need be stopped before the evil can fester. I've seen it since the first moment I touched you... And I can prove it."

If Albus could scream, he would have screamed as blue energy- the same energy that that he'd seen leaping from that thing's hands whenever it fed- was latching onto him now.

He closed his eyes, expecting pain. Expected to feel weakened, expecting to feel something. At least a sudden freezing sensation. But, nothing. Nothing at all. His eyes snapped open, and he stared.

"Your soul. I can't touch your soul. Can't touch such a fractured thing, and you don't even know it. Joan of Arc have her warning, but why, oh why, didn't I listen?"

The hand was off him in a second and Albus was left gaping.

What just happened?

The beast turned, walking to the center of the room.

"It's time. The faun comes. The last exile will be free, the slayer of gods will be liberated from his heathen bonds, a traitor will rise, the assassin will fall, and the servant will live again through the Dark Lord's hand."

Albus was back to sobbing. He was praying. Actually praying. He'd never prayed before, but he was praying now. His eyes were firmly closed as he pleaded, begged, whined and cried within his own mind for all of this just to end. He wanted to go home, he just wanted to go home. He wanted to go home and have his mom wrap her arms around him where he could cuddle in and feel safe. He wanted to go home...

His eyes shot open at the flash of light.

James was glowing. Faint blue, he was glowing. Bright blue light emitted from his eyes, his mouth, even his ears. Arms outstretched on either side of him, he was glowing.

Albus, naturally, panicked.

That's when he noticed McGonagall was emitting her own set of blue-oriented Christmas lights. Her back arched, eyes wide as light escaped them, Albus watched in morbid fascination, back and forth between the two.

Then, it stopped. It all stopped.

McGonagall gasped out a breath before her head swayed forward. She didn't have the energy to even move. 'James' gave out a gasp, and Albus turned.

It looked up at him, through his brother's eyes.

"It's time. It's time. They remember, and it's time. I hate this more than you, but it's you or the world. Once upon a time, your father would have understood that. He can't now, and has forced my hand. I'm sorry, but I must do... What must be done."

What scared Albus the most, however, was that the trace of insanity previously there seemed to have decimated into nothingness in mere seconds...

* * *

><p>AN; Next update will be Monday. In fact, all my stories will be updated on Mondays from now on. I intend to finish this up and start on the sequel soon. I've let it drag on for way too many months.

Goodnight everyone.


	19. Exorcism

A/N: Random question; I searched wide and far(aka Google) for an Islamic Exorcism chant. I found a Christian, or, more specifically, Catholic version, but I could not find one in Arabic. Believe it or not, details such as this are of import to the story.

Why?

Our villain is Islamic in origin. Or, his species is, at least. Demon seemed too weak. Angel seemed far fetched. So, I went with the middle one. Which happens to be Islamic in origin. I won't state what it is as it's in the chapter, but whatever.

I was going to write in the words for the Latin version of the Exorcism that I found, but, instead I resolved to just state they were all chanting as I needed them switching from Latin to Arabic, and, as I couldn't find an official Arabic exorcism, the results lay out before you all.

Anyways, on with the story.

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><p><strong>Chapter 19<strong>

**Exorcism**

"The betrayer strikes at midnight." the thing possessing his brother sang.

Albus glanced up.

He had no idea how long he'd been hanging here, how long he'd been held here, and a small part of him was beginning to loose hope. The thing inside of his brother kept singing the most random off key things, none of which made any sense at all whatsoever. Albus was starting to loose all hope. It was hard to feel even a spark of it as he hung on that line. It was dark here, it was humid here, and it reeked of death.

He was going to die down here, the thing inside his brother had already assured him.

Albus was a sacrifice.

But, the way the thing kept prattling on, you'd think he was the one committing the 'sacrifice', rather than murdering a child with the justification of such an act being a simple 'the voices told me to do it, and mommy always said I have to obey my elders'.

McGonagall had awoken a few minutes ago.

She'd looked around, appeared dazed, spotted Albus, and shrieked. Seconds later, a hand tapped her, just tapped her, and her head swung back as if hit by a sledgehammer, leaving her out cold once more.

Albus had screamed.

Screamed, cried, and begged the creature to let him go. In response, the thing had looked to the ceiling and demanded to know if he should let Albus go before turning, looking at Albus, and explaining to him in the most adequate of words that the Great 'Guin had denied his request.

Which caused Albus to scream again, albeit this time out of frustration.

"She walks in the shadows, unseen. Among allies and friends, the Betrayer will strike. Even she will not see, blind to her own transgressions she will be. Mind of the broken, destruction she will bring. The timewarper will save her at the beg of the child, and loose his sanity in the process. The betrayer strikes at midnight!" James exclaimed.

This. Was. Torture. A small part of Albus wished he would just get it over with already.

That very small part, however, was drowned in the sea of 'get me the hell out of here' that was going through Albus' head. He wanted to get down. He wanted to get out. He wanted to be anywhere but here. He wanted home. He wanted his mommy to wrap her arms around him and tell him everything was going to be okay, he wanted James and his endless teasing back, he wanted Lily and her annoying quirks and insufferable fury, he wanted Rose with her constant ranting, unable to shut up even at the worst of moments. Most of all, he wanted his dad. He wanted his dad to make him feel protected, wanted his dad to come and rescue him, wanted his dad to save him like the hero Albus' father truly was.

"Ancient evil that slumbered, you shall rise. The Oracle has seen, yet she does not know what she sees. Blinded is the one with knowledge all, those dead to magic's beat cloud her vision. The hand of three bring the slayer to his knees. Blood of gods be on his hands."

Albus wanted him to just shut up.

Nothing he said made any sense!

"There was once a bumbling bumble bee. It flew and flew, ascending ever higher. Poor little bee, he flew too high, the illusion to great, and, like Humpty Dumpy, he had a great fall."

Shut up. Shut up, shut up, shut up!

"Two brothers walk a broken winding road. One is gifted, one is not. Both fear, both desperately try to protect the other, and, in the end, it is their over protectiveness of one another that brings their fall."

He really liked the sound of his own voice...

"There was once a girl. Strong, beautiful, blond little thing. Tiny and pathetic, the world thought her nothing more than a pretty little face. Her tombstone reads; She saved the world. A lot."

Albus glanced around, wondering if there was anything to bang his head against. He could try using the chains, but was sure that if he even mildly succeeded at that, he'd end up with a bloody forehead.

"The aliens came, the aliens left. A cave, three artifacts, a child, and toxic stones. For some odd reason, they look like us. Then again, I'm not human. Nope, not even close."

Aliens. Albus stared. He wondered if this would be his existence for the rest of eternity. Torture at the hands of an insane being who used words and words alone to drive Albus' mind into an madness similar to his own.

"The Cat in the Hat knows a lot about that! Would you like some green eggs and ham?"

"Merlin, do you ever shut up!?" Albus finally snapped.

"Anger is bad. Very very bad. Little young man wouldn't want to turn big green and scary."

Albus decided, at that point, that maybe banging his head against metallic chains might not be such a bad idea...

That's when the doors slammed open, and Albus couldn't believe he'd never noticed them before. He glanced up, and his heart soared. The hope was back.

"Da-"

"Silence, beast." James snapped his fingers and Albus' voice died in his throat. He tried to make a sound, any sound, but found that he couldn't. So, instead, he shook at the chains.

Dad wasn't alone. Four others were with him. Uncle Ron and Uncle Neville, along with another man Albus thought looked familiar but didn't recognize, and an old woman. The last one confused him. Old woman? She looked frailer than McGonagall, and that's saying something.

Then again, those who deemed McGonagall frail and weak usually ended up getting their assess kicked twelve different ways, so...

"The Chosen, The Backup Plan, The Follower, The Half-breed, and The Seer. All for me? I'm honored." James beamed at them all.

"Dante... I don't know what _the hell _has gotten into you... But if you don't let go of my son... Both of them... By the time I'm finished with you, they won't be able to identify the body..." Dad threatened as he and the other four marched straight in, starting to circle the one known as Dante.

Well, at least it had a name now...

"I'm hurt. I thought you liked me." Dante-James pouted.

"That was before you possessed one of my sons and kidnapped the- Minerva?"

McGonagall was no longer forgotten. Dad glanced at her before turning back to give Dante-James a death glare. "What the hell?"

"My my, aren't we slow." Dante-James, shaking his head, crossing his arms over his chest, and letting his eyes flash blue.

"You were behind the attacks." Neville realized.

Albus was flabbergasted. Well, duh! Who else would be behind the freaking attacks? What was it with adults? They seemed to have this keen habit of being slow at damn near everything while at the same time being smarter than everyone else.

"Bingo. McGonagall was close to figuring it out. Had to take her down."

"McGonagall was the first attack. There was nothing to figure out before her!" Uncle Ron yelled in fury. Don't piss off the red-head.

"Memory. She was close to remembering me. I couldn't let it happen. Olethea, lay one hand on those chains and I'll burn you alive, oh great blind one!" Dante-James snarled, turning to glare at said blind one, whom had wandered next to Albus and was currently in the process of trying to unravel the chains that kept Albus from moving even a muscle.

She froze, glancing up.

Albus silently wondered how a 'blind one' knew exactly where this Dante was, but she did.

"The child must die. You know this. You've seen. You've seen, just like I have. He will bring the world to it's knees, whether he wants to or not! Step away, all of you. Step away!" Dante-James commanded.

He received blank stares in response.

Silence.

Dante-James glared at the rest for their inability to be quote unquote 'realistic'.

"Memory. What memories?" The one Albus didn't know spoke. He swore he recognized the man, but where? Come on, memories. Click. Click. He knew that face, he knew that face, he knew that-

Diagon Alley.

Acacia.

The man standing outside, watching him

Great, his own personal stalker was a member of the rescue party.

"Their memories of me. I warned you, Potter. That child must die before the festering wound he represents can have a chance to grow any larger!" then, Dante-James pointed a finger directly at Albus without even bothering to turn.

"And I told you to stay the hell away from my family!" Dad shot back.

"You, Harry Potter, are an inherently selfish creature. The world, or your son?"

"You're mental." Uncle Ron stated bluntly.

Finally, someone says it!

Ignoring him, Dante-James continued on. "I warned you. I _warned _you. I didn't just warn you, but I _showed _you. Do you remember now, the future I showed you?"

Dad didn't answer.

There was a dark look in his eyes, and something else.

Only years later would Albus realize that the 'something else' was blatant and desperate denial.

"And I told you, point blank, that you were delusional. I told you to stay away from my son, but you obviously didn't listen and now we find ourselves here."

"I promised you a decade. I gave you a decade. The decade is done. As a child, he was unkillable. Trust me. I tried drown-"

"YOU DID WHAT!"

"Drowning him." Dante-James rolled his eyes, as if confessing attempted murder on a baby was the most common place of actions. "I knew it wouldn't work, but I needed to test my theory."

Dad looked too furious to even speak, and Albus had the very faint expression that the only reason curses hadn't been fired yet were due to the body Dante just so happened to be possessing at the very moment. Albus was sure the five in this room could hurt him. But, they'd have to hurt James in the process, which was something none of them were willing to do.

That's when he noticed Olethea, and stared. Um. What was she doing? Candles, drawing symbols, doing weird things. She pulled out a stone basin out of her pocket, and Albus had no idea how it fit in there in the first place. She placed the basin in the center of the strange symbol she had drawn. It was some sort of star.

She poured herbs in, and started smashing them.

Albus came to the conclusion that this was one of those strange occult branches of magic his mom didn't let him anywhere near of.

The thing was, those branches of magic were dark. Very, very dark. Darth Vader bad. Summoning demons and spirits bad. Okay, so maybe Albus knew a little more about the subject than he should, but hey, it was dad's fault for keeping all his cool books hidden underneath their house that one time Albus had 'accidentally' fallen into the wall.

Or, more specifically, James had pushed him, and then had absolutely no idea of how to get him out or how Albus even got in in the first place as the wall was solid again the second James tried to fetch his little brother.

"Theory. Your theory. What kind of demented theory involves the attempted drowning of a baby?" stranger demanded.

"Did your whore of a mommy not teach you manners, half-breed? No talking!" Dante-James reprimanded.

Albus silently wondered what a 'whore' was. Maybe James would tell him once he was better, because Albus refused to acknowledge the possibility that he wouldn't get better. That's when he remembered he was still chained and hanging helplessly from the ground with the ability to get down robbed from him.

Strangely enough, he wasn't so terrified anymore.

Dad was here.

Everything was going to alright, right?

"Last time I checked, we're both half-breeds. You aren't one to talk."

"You're what happens when one of my kind decides human woman just might feel as well as they look. You're the result of an abomination." Dante-James sneered.

"And last time I checked, you're half demon." Uncle Ron retorted loudly.

"Last time I checked, you were still a dumbass jealous of his best friend and trying desperately to hide it. Pathetic, really."

"That was a long time ago. Things change. People change. I changed."

"Oh, I know. I here you and Longbottom are no longer Aurors. The dream team of three, broken at long last? You were so strong together, the three of you. You saved the world. Of course, that was after you nearly ended it, but details, details."

Dad narrowed his eyes as slits.

"You tipped off the newspapers. You're Mafalda Richardson's source."

"Actually, I just set up the breadcrumb trail to the pot of gold. She discovered it all on her lonesome and dove right in like the greedy gossip queen she is." Dante-James corrected. Then, he turned to the stranger, and scowled. "I am not half demon. I am an Ifrit, filthy creature."

Albus wondered why they were still talking. Merlin knows that this 'Dante' talked far too much for his own good. He seemed to be talking coherently now, and Albus had the distinct feeling Dante really had been trying to torture him with his inability to shut up about things that made no sense at all whatsoever.

"You're a genie on a power high." Uncle Neville rolled his eyes at Dante-James.

"Of course I am. Now, I'm wondering, Olethea, what exactly do you think all those herbs and incantations are going to do? I'm not a demon, bitch. You can't get me out unless I want to come out." Dante-James turned to acknowledge said blind woman with a raised eyebrow.

Apparently, her activities had not gone undetected.

"Actually, we can."

Dante-James turned to dad incredulously and watched as dad let a wand slip into his finger tips, but it wasn't his wand. Albus knew his father's wand. He'd managed to get a hold of it when he was three and nearly blew up the kitchen in the process. He knew the wand by heart, and that wasn't his dad's wand.

Albus felt something sharp, sudden, and unexpected.

The wand dad was holding was calling out to him...

What hell?

"The Elder Wand." and, Dante-James smiled. This can't be good... "So, you did know where it was hidden. Good boy, Potter. Now, if you'd just hand it over so this sacrifice can go according to plan-"

"There's no way in hell that I'm going to hand this over to you." dad interrupted coldly, holding up the wand. "I'm going to use it, against you."

"And damage this little ceramic body I'm walking around in? You won't. You can't. You're unwilling to see the need to sacrifice one child that _must _die. With a mind set like yours, you can't do what must be done. You're an idealist. The world burns because of you." Dante-James drawled.

Uncle Ron yawned dramatically as soon as the mini speech was done, causing the Ifrit to glare at him.

"A normal exorcism might not work on you. But, we mixed a few things. You're an Ifrit. Upper level Djinn. You shouldn't even be able to possess anything. That means you had to use unusual means to get what you needed. Which makes you, _half-breed, _unstable." stranger spoke.

"Mopsus," Dante-James spoke in a bored voice and, despite the situation, Albus was sure he would have laughed had his vocal cords been active. Mopsus? Seriously? And Albus thought his name was bad. Scratch that, Albus Severus was bad. But Mopsus? No comment on that front.

"You useless little shit. You are a worthless being that has betrayed your own kin. Do not speak to me. You're beneath me."

"Really? Because I think drowning babies is beneath me."

"I also throw puppies in pots of boiling water. Your point?"

"You're a dick."

"There's a child in the room."

"And? He's getting Obliviated the second we get him out of here."

"That's nice. Neville, I like you. I really do. But, if you don't stop your futile attempts to free the cat woman, I'll be forced to burn you to a molten crisp."

Olethea was still drawing. She reminded Albus of the kids in the Muggle schools he went to as a very young child, the ones with chalk that decided to draw all over the sidewalks. Like his father before him, Albus could think of the most random details while in a very real life-or-death situation.

"Now!" Olethea called.

Dante-James blinked at her, before four curses were flung at his head.

He growled, eyes flashing blue as he dodged them all. Faster than the human eye could see, he was leaping. Like a shadow, he ran around the room as the four males tried to strike him with spells.

Then, Albus shrieked as Dante-James landed right in front of them, growling and barring his teeth like some sort of savage animal, blue electricity cackling from his frame.

The fear was back. The fear was very much back.

Suddenly, Dante-James hit a wall. He rebounded backwards, flung away from them as if telekinetically tossed.

He didn't land on his back though.

Instead, he rolled around in the air and proceeded to fly.

He could fly.

He could fly and he was currently shooting lighting at the four wizards who were dodging about, trying to combat him.

Why was it that the bad guys always got the cool powers?

Olethea fell to her knees, her arms outstretched on either side of her as she began to chant. Her head vowed and her eyes closed, the words falling from her lips held no meaning to Albus. Obviously, they were spoken in some obscure language he had never heard of. Then, herbs she had crushed began to burn on their own accord. The symbols around her started to glow.

Creepy.

Very creepy.

Dante-James howled.

Then, he swooped down.

Uncle Neville went flying.

The remaining three stood back to back, but it was of no good as Dante landed before Uncle Ron and back handed him before he could move a muscle, sending him flying.

Dad turned and raised his wand, but no curse came out. Instead, his expression became pained and Dante-James smiled at him, grabbing his arm, twisting it.

There was a sickening snap.

Mopsus then proceeded to tackle Dante-James. Dante, in turn, grabbed him, turned, and flung the other away from him with force, sending Mopsus flying before he spun full circle, grabbed dad around the throat, and lifted him up.

"I don't want to kill you, Potter. The world needs men like you. But you are blind. Blind, and you cannot-"

Olethea's back arched, her eyes snapped open, and her faint chanting suddenly became full blow screams. Her eyes even glowed. Like burning embers, they glowed with fire and flame.

Dante-James howled once more, dropping dad and turning to her. Snarling, he flew at her. The force field kept him back, but that didn't stop him from trying as he flew around them, hitting it repeatably.

Cracks started appearing in mid-air...

"Mopsus!" Olethea cried as her head fell back down. Albus quickly realized she was the source of the shield. And she was feeling every single blow Dante left on it.

Albus watched as Mopsus rose, and then he did something that made Albus' jaw drop. He turned. Well. Black. Not black as in African black, but black as in I'm-now-a-walking-talking-shadow, just like Dante kept doing. Then, flying through the air, he tacked the James and the two began spinning around the room in a billow of dark smoke.

Dad stood, panting, and pointed his wand at his arm. There was a snap and he groaned as his arm was healed. Magic, he decided, was awesome.

He glanced up as the Ifrit and the 'half-breed' tossed one another in the air, fighting it out. Lifting up his wand, dad began to open fire. Concentrated blasts of wind shot upwards, causing more hell around them.

Then, in a whirlwind of confusion, Dante-James managed to grab Mopsus by the throat, and brought the two of them spinning down. Dad rolled on the ground just in time as Dante-James slammed Mopsus to the ground.

The stone broke in the shape of a crater.

Dante-James gave out a high pitched sound that would have sent a banshee running for the hills before lifting up the beaten Mopsus in the air.

Little James lifting someone twice his size would have been amusing in any other situation, but not this one.

"You are either with us, with your own kind- or you are with them, with the humans! You're a traitor, Mopsus! Personally, I don't care that you're a half-breed. But you've chosen the wrong side of your heritage to honor! I give you a chance. Either you stand with me, with out own kind, or you side with them. With the humans."

Mopsus spat in his face.

Thus gaining badass/suicidal status in Albus' mind.

"I'll choose my own path for my own, thanks..." Mopsus hissed.

"Very well." Dante-James replied. He spun Mopsus around, forced the other to his knees, and placed his hands on either side of the neck. He was going to snap it. He was going to snap Mopsus' neck. He was going to kill him, and use James' body to do it.

At the last second, dad popped out of nowhere, literally, and jabbed the Elder Wand into Dante-James' back.

Dante-James hollered, his back arched, and he dropped Mopsus, who fell to the ground uselessly. There was a bright flash of light as both dad and Olethea starting chanting in earnest. That was when Albus noticed Uncle Neville and Uncle Ron were doing the same.

Dante-James spun, striking dad and sending him flying.

The rest didn't stop chanting, however, and it was too late.

The magic was done.

Dante-James screamed, fell to his knees, and began to shake. He shook so fast his body became a blur. His eyes began to glow once more. Everything was glowing. Then, the head fell back, and the light became too much. Albus was forced to look away.

There was the resounding noise that signaled an explosion. Dust was flying in every which direction, and, when Albus looked up, James was on the ground. The actual James. Standing above him, coughing and gripping at his chest, looking weak and frail was a man Albus had never seen before, a man whom he assumed must be Dante when he wasn't possessing people or shapeshiting for the hell of it.

Three wands were lifted as Dante fell to his knees from exhaustion.

"It's over, Dante."

Dante glared up at Albus' father, a mad growl escaping his lips. Then, his eyes fell on the wand laying causally on the floor, the same wand dad had jabbed into Dante's backside while he was possessing James.

His dad suddenly got that 'oh shit' face Albus had inherited and used whenever his mom caught him doing something he wasn't suppose to be doing.

Dante lunged, and, even in his weakened state, was faster than the rest. His fingers curling around it, he stood, lifted it, and gave a battle

Undiluted magic beat from the wand and Dante's eyes glowed once more.

"This isn't over. Not by a long shot." he growled out, despite the fact that it looked like he was having trouble even standing up right. Regardless, he still looked utterly terrifying, and Albus had a feeling this wasn't going to be over as quickly as he had hoped...


	20. Traitor

A/N: This chapter was going to be longer... But, I decided to be evil at the end and cut it into two parts. Why? The end scene. You'll all get what I mean once you get to it.

One more chapter left, followed by an Epilouge before I start work on the sequel.

On with the story.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 20<strong>

**Traitor**

Magic beat from the Elder Wand in waves.

Dad, Uncle Ron, Uncle Neville. All three of them surrounded their opponent, flinging hexes and curses. None seemed to even come remotely close to hit the target, who spun with an odd sort of grace as the ground melted around them.

Dante seemed fond of fire spells.

He also seemed fond of making said flames blue in color, just like his creepy glowing eyes.

Olethea was busy cutting Albus' bonds. How the blind woman managed it, Albus never knew. Her continued slashes that cut straight through the metal, however, kept startling Albus, who was sure the next one would take a piece of him with him.

Even he wouldn't slash and cut away that fast, and he could actually see. He had actual vision. Olethea, on the other hand, was utterly blind. Utterly blind, and waving her wand around him like a mad woman.

By some miracle, she managed to miss his flesh each and every time, but not by much. Only by a tiny margin of space did Albus manage to escape the clutches of the metal snapping magical cuts Olethea dealt to the chains keeping him prisoner.

"Keep still!" she hissed when he jumped after a particular slash nearly took his ear.

"Slow down!" Albus countered.

"That creature behind us? It's one of the most powerful species of beings in creation! It's gone insane! Not only has it gone insane, but it _will _kill you if I don't get you away from it immediately, and it will kill anyone who tries to stop it in the process- namely, your father! Now, do you want me to slow down?"

Stupid guilt using blind woman lady person.

Albus grumbled.

Tears.

In his defense, he was a twelve year old boy scared shitless as can be.

Olethea sighed, gently cupping his cheek with one hand while using the other to sever the remaining bonds. Apparently, Dante had gotten over-excited with the bondage, Albus thought with annoyance.

It was only years later and hundreds of experiences later that Albus would realize just how wrong that lone thought was.

"Catch him!"

"He's too fast!"

"AHH!"

Uncle Neville went flying as the last chain fell away. Albus gasped and fell to the ground. His body ached. Everything ached. Being held in that position for so long was doing hell to his muscles, and he didn't like it, not for a second. He gave out a loud groan as his body screamed it's protest against the smallest of movements.

Fire was flying in every direction.

It was then that Albus noted that Dante wasn't even bothering to use the wand. The flames came from him and him alone, forgoing the Elder Wand entirely. The Elder Wand itself was dangling vicariously from Dante's pocket, and, as the Ifrit spun and shot his flames, dodged and defended against the curses flung at him, Albus noted something else. The and was glowing. He didn't know how, but it was glowing. Energy was falling from the magical stick, feeding into Dante, making him stronger.

And the wand was calling to Albus.

He could feel it, and he could feel as the Elder Wand beckoned him.

Absently, without a thought, out of pure instinct, Albus lifted his hand, outstretching his finger tips. He didn't even think about it. There was nothing to think about. Just pure undiluted compulsion.

The wand came flying into his hand, and Albus fell to his knees. His back arched, his iris' glowed faintly with pale green light, and he felt vitality seep back into his bones.

Olethea let him go.

She dropped him to the ground, gaping at him.

The fight around them stopped as all eyes turned.

Dante then turned his head and shot a pointed look at Harry, a look Albus failed to notice as he himself stared down at the wand in his hands in shock. How did he-?

Next thing he knew, a shadow was hitting him. His dad was screaming, Olethea had been tossed away like unwanted scraps off the table, and he was flying.

Second flight wasn't nearly half the thrill of first flight, and Albus gave a pathetically loud pitched whimper of fear.

Then, he was falling.

Falling, and screaming for dear life.

Then, another shadow caught him in midair. At first, Albus thought it was Dante and began to hit the other repeatably, before he noticed it wasn't Dante at all. Mopsus, his creepy stalker from beyond. Instantly, Albus' hands dropped to his side as Mopsus landed, shoving Albus towards Olethea.

"Keep him safe." he ordered.

Blind one rolled her eyes.

It's creepy watching blind person roll their eyes.

She raised a single eyebrow in Albus' direction, as if reading his mind. A small part of him thought that she just might be able to. Who knows. After all, she could cut and chop chains like a madwoman without even so much as grazing him.

She chuckled and Albus narrowed his eyes at the woman, before resolutely deciding not to think ever again in her presence.

Mopsus chased right after Dante. Dante leaped from wall to wall, Mopsus right after him, dad, Uncle Ron and Uncle Neville all shooting into the air, their aim locked on Dante. The two non-humans seemed to be limping. How one manages to limp while flying through the air, Albus had no idea, but those two managed it.

Suddenly, Mopsus succeeded in grabbing the elusive Dante. Together, they came colliding to the ground with considerable force.

Dante rolled around on the ground before rising up, snarling at them all and barring his great yellow teeth.

In the center of the room there was a stir...

And, slowly, sleepily, and lethargically, James Potter lifted his head.

Dante smirked before he shot forth.

Mopsus' eyes went wide as he did the same.

The other was closer, however. Closer, and his eyes shined with vile glee as he reached the target.

"Wow!" James exclaimed as hands gripped his back, turning him quickly. A hand around the throat, and Dante's eyes were glowing cerulean.

Feeding.

The bastard was feeding.

Off Albus' brother.

James gave out weak gasp as his skin became pale, as his veins began to pop out, and as energy was transferred from him to the entity holding him. Then, Dante carelessly tossed James aside before turning to Mopsus just as the other arrived. Lifting his hand, a sphere of blue flame forged itself around a smirking Dante.

Mopsus collided with it, screamed, and his body spun through the air lit aflame before it landed with a dull thud on the ground.

Dante then lifted his hands and the other three left standing were tossed by a sudden gust of wind.

Turning to Albus and Olethea, Dante smiled viciously as he began to make his way towards them. Albus cowered as he hid behind the older woman. Not the bravest of things, and not the most Gryffindor thing to do at the moment, but Dante had just bested his father and Uncles without breaking a sweat.

That was terrifying.

He pulled out the Elder Wand from his back pocket, and green lightning began to cackle from the tip.

Dad rose, and gave out a cry.

Whatever it was was lost to Albus' ears. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion as Dante marched his way over. In fact, Albus was sure it was going in slow motion. Time magic? Then, he noticed something else: it was slow motion for _him. _Not everyone else, just him.

What hell?

Dante carelessly waved his hand in the general direction of Albus' dad, and Albus watched helplessly as his father was swatted away like a common mosquito. Those cerulean eyes locked with his, and, suddenly, Olethea wasn't there anymore. Swatted away like the bug she was.

The wand lifted.

A curse was uttered.

A bold of green lightning came flying at Albus a hundred miles an hour.

He fell to his knees, closed his eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks, knowledge embedded in his skull. This was it. This was the end. This is were he dies. At the hands of some nut case who is under the deluded impression that Albus is going to end the world. Life couldn't be simple, could it?

Albus waited. And waited. And waited. But, the blow never came.

Instead, there was the sizzling sound of magic colliding with magic, and, at last, the boy looked up.

Olethea was blocking the green curse. He didn't know how, but she was blocking it, even as the green volts of energy shot out from in front of her, striking at the ground and every which direction, leaving horrid burn marks. Curiosity got the best of Albus, and he tried looking around Olethea's body to see how she was fending off an unblockable curse.

A dagger.

What?

An emerald shone on the hilt, the design ordinate and ancient, the metal of the knife carved and curved. It called to Albus. He frowned. What was it with random objects he'd never seen before calling to him? Seriously? This was starting to get really annoying!

How the dagger was counteracting the curse, Albus didn't know.

But, it did the trick.

Olethea pushed against the magical wave before her. Dante growled as the magic he was letting pour of the wand began to shove it's way back towards him. With a vicious snarl, he broke the enchantment, and Albus watched as Olethea fell to her knees, the dagger falling with a clang to the ground.

"The dagger of Salazar Slytherin... You've had it. You've had it, all this time." Dante whispered.

The next few seconds were a blur.

Dad, Uncle Neville and Uncle Ron all resumed their assaults on the Ifrit. Olethea whimpered slightly as she fell fully to the ground, a weak mess of bags and bone, her pale skin clinging to her face like some sort of grotesque mask.

Then, Mopsus.

He seemed to pop up everywhere.

"I'm sorry, child."

Those were the words muttered to Albus as he was shoved up against a wall and a knife was impaled into his body...


	21. Mercy

A/N: This early update comes at a very small price. Next Monday, I won't update. Instead, I'll update the Monday after next Monday(October the 10th) instead of October the 3rd, as I usually would

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><p><strong>Chapter 21<strong>

**Mercy**

The world had stopped moving.

There was a knife in him.

There was a knife digging into his flesh.

The cold metal penetrated deep, and the wound seared in burning agony. Albus wanted to scream. He wanted to shout. He wanted to let his physical anguish out for the world to rebel in it. But, he couldn't. He couldn't move. He couldn't move a muscle.

He could only give a broken gasp as his eyes shot open wide, as the knife dug in deeper, and as Mopsus twisted the blade.

Deeper, deeper...

It hurt.

It hurt a lot.

This was it. This was the end. Albus' mouth fell into a silent 'o' as the pain filtered into his veins. He'd never felt something like this before. This was torture. This was agony. This was death, and he was dying.

His heard was beating frantically, even as blood began to evade out of the new hole in his body. Albus felt as the metal left him, as it slid out, and shuddered against the wall. He couldn't help it. He couldn't help it if he tried.

Be that as it may, he couldn't continue on. It hurt too much. The wound was too great. Chains, he could handle. Some odd immunity to an energy siphoning being, he could handle. The knife dug into his chest, he _could not handle. _

Mopsus let him drop, and the expression he wore was almost apologetic

Albus heard music. The tempo was increasing, the beat kept accelerating, and the sound itself was odd. It wasn't like any music he'd ever heard before. But, it was all that filled his ears, all that filled his senses, and, at the moment, all he really knew.

It was his heartbeat.

And, it was breaking.

There were yells, shouts. Slowly, they began to break through as Albus crumbled to the floor. He slumped up against the wall, and watched with foggy eyes as the scene played out before him.

He expected to see his father, or one of his Uncles, or even Olethea. Hell, he was still half expecting Dante to begin leaping up and down in some demented and delirious state of joy.

What he wasn't expecting was James, and his eyes snapped back on their own accord. Suddenly, he found strength to stay awake, strength to stay alive, strength to place a hand on his wound and strength to put pressure on the ever-burning part of him.

No sooner had Mopsus let Albus drop and turned back to the battle had James tackled him. Straight to the ground, kicking and screaming.

"That's my brother you bastard! Ugh! UGH!"

And, James was hitting him. Repeatably. His fists swung back and forth as he beat Mopsus with blow after blow in rapid succession.

It was then that the others noticed.

Dad's silent scream was more deafening than any other sound Albus had ever heard.

Predictably, Dante began to jump up in down with glee, pumping his fists in the air joyously. Enraged, Harry Potter lifted his wand at the Ifrit, and fired.

This time, he wasn't aiming to capture.

This time, he was aiming _to kill. _

James lifted his fist one last time before Mopsus caught the fist in his own. Twist. _Snap. _James cried out in pain before Mopsus gripped him by the throat, shoving him off while keeping his fingers wrapped tightly around his neck. James gasped for breath before Mopsus slammed him into the ground.

James' eyes fell close as a little blood seeped from his skull.

Carelessly, Mopsus stepped over Albus' brother and made his way towards the fight currently reengaged. He pulled out his wand, and shot out a curse, aiming at Uncle Ron. Uncle Ron deflected it with ease, and fired one of his own.

It never hit, because Mopsus wasn't there anymore.

He was a shadow, leaping from wall to wall, shooting across the room even as they tried to catch it. Dante took full advantage, letting his flames sweep the room before concentrating his power.

Lightning.

Pure energetic lightning.

It ripped through the shield Uncle Neville had constructed, and his body went flying.

Mopsus managed to get a hold of Uncle Ron. Up they went, soaring into the air, before Uncle Ron was flung. He soared in the air, and Dante shot him with flames still before Uncle Ron could land. Wisps of smoke charred at his robes as Uncle Ron's body somersaulted in the air, before finally rolling it's way onto the cold stone ground.

How did things become so terrible?

Albus was on the ground, bleeding, unable to move, with his only support being the wall behind him and his own will to not let his eyes shut, despite the overwhelming pain he felt and the thundering beating of his own heart in his ears.

McGonagall was still up on her post, her skin sagged and her eyes closed. There wasn't enough life left in her to open them. She wasn't dead, but she might as well be, considering the condition she was currently in.

James lay on the ground, blood falling lovingly from his lips, his nose, even his skull. Somehow, he looked peaceful in his slumber. Peaceful, despite the full-blown hell that surrounded them all.

Uncle Neville was down as well. His body had a soft tinge to it, a small little glow underneath his skin. The lightning that had struck him had literally lit his bones. It was a wonder he wasn't a mess of burnt rags and flesh.

Uncle Ron was still smoldering from the fire. Small wisps of smoke rose from his robes, but Albus could see. He could see his Uncle was still breathing. Barely at all, but he was alive. Alive, and defeated.

Olethea was perhaps the worst of them all. Sure, Albus was bleeding slowly to death. Sure, McGonagall's skin was sagged and clutching to the bone almost lifelessly. But, Olethea was paler than the rest. The veins in her body popped out like a thousand little segments of a highway. She didn't just look dead. She looked tortured.

There was only one last man left standing; Harry Potter himself. The chosen one. The champion of the Wizarding world. The legend, the hero, the savior. The marked one. Albus' dad, his father, his own personal superman.

Mopsus came flying at him with such speed he was nothing more than a blur.

Harry, however, was ready for him.

Light. Pure light escaped from his dad's wand. Not a curse, not a hex, not a jinx or anything of the like. Just a simple Lumos spell... Times one hundred.

Mopsus screamed and shrieked and fell away from the light as if burned before returning to his natural form.

A small part of Albus wondered why dad hadn't done that before, when it quickly became obvious the same trick didn't work on Dante when the other shifted into shadow-mode and tried to strike, only being deterred by a rapid shield his father made.

As Albus watched Mopsus and Dante circle his father like a pack of wild wolves, it clicked.

It had been an act. It had been an act all along. Mopsus, the notorious double agent no one catches until the last second. The double agent that strikes when one is least expecting it, the one that causes hell, and suffering through a betrayal not seen.

Dante had brought Mopsus to his knees three times in rapid succession.

Yet, after each, Mopsus rose without so much a scratch.

It was an act.

Albus was sure even Dante's 'hatred' of Mopsus had been merely for dramatic effect to convince the others of his role as their ally. Convince them of the lie that was going to cost them everything.

The wound in him pulsed.

Albus bit his lip and glanced down.

Of all the places to stab him, why the leg? Maybe to keep Albus from running? After all, a leg wound did that just fine and, from what he'd heard and seen, Dante seemed keen on not just killing him, but making it as symbolic as possible. Psychopaths these days...

Clatter.

Albus looked up.

No.

No, no, no, no!

Dad had fallen. His body was tossed careless on the ground, but he kept moving. He wasn't unconscious, not yet. His wand was lying mere inches from him, but, before he could get it, the traitor kicked it away and spat on him, before backhanding dad.

Any other day, seeing that would have sparked anger in Albus.

Right now, all he could feel was terror.

He tried to yell out, when he found his voice gone. Gone, again. Dante had robbed him of it again, and he was helpless to do or say a thing.

"Traitor!" Dad spat.

"I'm sorry." Mopsus spoke as he walked around dad, before standing next to Dante. Dante merely stared at dad, shaking his head in disappointment like an adult scolding a child for putting his hand in the cookie jar.

He didn't sound sorry at all.

Albus wanted to throttle him. Hard.

"I'm sorry things had to be this way, Harry." Dante spoke, before he kneeled, grabbed dad by the robes, and lifted him to his knees. "But, that boy... He must die. You know this."

"You're mad."

"The stars have spoken, and they are firm in their judgment. _Albus Potter _must die. And you... Gracious you, you brave little toaster, you brought me just what I needed to sacrifice the boy properly." Dante said as he twirled the Elder Wand in between his fingertips. With an insane smile, Dante tapped the wand on Dad's nose, before he winked.

"What happened to you?" Dad gasped. He was wounded. Tired. Most of all, he was broken, because he'd failed. He'd failed, and it all ended here, _now. _

"Life. Really, I'm surprised insanity did not grace me oh so much sooner. I've been alive thousands of years, yet only now does it all catch up to me."

Then, Dante was gripping dad by the throat, choking him.

Albus tried to move.

He found his body refused to listen to his mind. His body was in shock. He was in shock, and he couldn't move a muscle, because this could _not be happening_. It just couldn't. It couldn't, but it was.

Reality was a thing that crashes around one against their wishes, and it was crashing around Albus now. Endlessly, it crashed around him. This was happening. This was really happening. And, nothing could stop it. Nothing in the world, because Harry Potter himself had already failed, and there was no hero in the world greater than Albus' dad.

Dante's grip became vice like around dad's throat, but, even then, dad did not look at him. Instead, his eyes were locked on Mopsus.

"Why?" he rasped out.

Mopsus looked sorry. He really did. He looked like he hated this, like he abhorred this, like he would prefer to be anywhere else but here. He looked as if he would regret this day for the rest of his life, but there was something else shinning in his eyes, something shining so fiercely that Albus knew he had no hope that the situation would be turned around.

It was a fanatical determination, the kind which nothing in the world can shake. The world could be dieing around you, and it's the kind of principle and belief that cannot be broken and continues on forever, infinitely.

That was what shone in Mopsus' eyes as he spoke. The tone was soft, it was caressing, it was the final words before the blow that takes one's life and leaves it bare for the world to see, broken and mutilated for eternity.

"Because... Because, Harry, Dante is right. He showed me. Showed me, just like he showed you, and _he's right. _Your son... The boy _must _die. He must."

"All this time... You were... It was an act... To get closer to us, make us trust you..." dad was growling. He was gasping, spluttering for air, nearly choking to death, and he was growling.

"Yes."

"You betrayed us all."

"Yes."

"I hate you."

"I know."

Silence followed the statement. Then, Dante looked down at dad. "I'm sorry. I truly am. But, this is the way things must come about. You brought me what I needed to do this correctly," Dante waved the Elder Wand. "The Great Pumpkin thanks you for your services, Musketeer of her Royal Majesty, the Wicked Witch of the West. The sands cry out their joy and the worms rejoice in their holes. I'm sorry, but this is the way things must be."

Then, Dante lifted his other hand, his fingers outstretched. Blue glowed from them in tiny little tendrils. He was going to drain dad. He was going to drain dad, and use that magic, use that power, and turn it on Albus. Use it to kill him.

Albus wanted to close his eyes, wanted to look away, wanted to be anywhere but here. But, he couldn't. He was locked in a dreadful morbid sense of fascination, of wonder. As grotesque as it was, he could not look away. Could not look away as the hand latched onto the face, as Dante's eyes glowed blue, as-

Albus' eyes widened.

He could not look away as Mopsus let slip into his hand the knife that he'd used to impale Albus' leg. He could not look away as Mopsus let it slip into his fingertips from it's place, hidden underneath the hem of his sleeve. He could not look away as Mopsus stepped behind Dante, or as Mopsus stabbed the Ifrit in it's side.

He could not look away as Dante gave an inhuman screech, as his back arched, as he glowed with unnatural energy, as Mopsus dug the blade in deeper, as dad fell back to the ground, groaning and whimpering, but otherwise alright.

The Elder Wand fell with a clatter, the wood bouncing on the stone before dad snatched it up.

Dante's head fell back, landing on Mopsus' shoulder as he supported the other. Dante gave a weak rasp, looking up into the eyes of his killer.

"The boy... The boy... You know what he is, brother... You know..." Dante whispered.

Dad snatched up the Elder Wand, rapidly standing and pointing it at the two before him. "You stabbed my son." he snarled.

Mopsus looked up.

"I had to make it look good."

"You stabbed my fucking son!"

"Slytherin's dagger wouldn't have worked! Not after Olethea used it to block a Killing Curse."

"You. Stabbed. My. CHILD!"

"AND HIS BLOOD IS POISON!"

"What?"

Mopsus pulled out the blade and Dante fell to the ground, his body withering in pain. Mopsus lifted the knife, the knife that had impaled Albus and dug into his flesh. "His blood." he pointed at Albus. "His blood stained this knife. And it's poison. It burned my flesh when it touched me. You know what it means, Potter."

Dad glowered at him before he turned and rushed to Albus' side. He came in quick determined strides and was next to his son in a heartbeat. Albus was in shock. His blood was poison. His blood. His blood had caused a being that had single-handedly taken three of the strongest people he knew on in a battle, and nearly come up on top, to its knees.

That was scary.

That was really scary.

Dad was soon kneeling over him, cradling Albus' head onto his lap as he preformed a quick rudimentary healing spell. He wouldn't bother with anything big, wouldn't risk anything big. He wasn't a healer, he only knew the basics.

A wand tap to the forehead and Albus' eyes fell close.

Mopsus knelt down next to Dante, sweeping some of the blood-mated hair out of the others face as he stared into the cerulean eyes.

"The boy..." Dante rasped.

"Shh. Shh. Rest now, brother. You've done enough. Rest."

Dante gripped Mopsus' hand, and stared up at him.

"You know what he is... The beast... You felt it. It crawls inside him, festering, growing. He has... He has no free will. It will dominate him, control him. His blood. His blood is poison. The beast will control him, and he will... he will be forced to watch as another uses his hands, his body, his face, to slaughter all those he once loved. Watch helplessly as his body is used to bring a world to its knees... To slay him now... It would... A mercy..."

"Shh... Sleep. Sleep, Dante. It's over. It's over. Rest." Mopsus commanded softly.

Dante gave a weak gasp.

"You must.. Stop... Hi-"

"No."

"Mopsus."

"I don't intend to kill him. I intend to save him, whatever it takes."

Dante laughed. He actually laughed, and Mopsus frowned. Dante continued to laugh manically, madly, with all the intensity of his insanity. It filed the room, filled the air, and it was everywhere as the laughed bounced it's way off the stone walls. Finally, Dante spoke.

"That's what the last one said... Right before he had his heart ripped out of his chest."

Then, with those final words, the eyes closed.

The Ifrit was, at long last, finally defeated.


	22. Epilogue

A/N: The ending is kind of... Darkish, I guess. There shall be a sequel! Which I will begin to post in, I don't know, two weeks time? I already have a general idea of how it's going to work, but, I think I've stated this before, but I suck at beginnings.

I kind of designed this ending to cause more questions to be asked than answered. Evil, I know. It's a gift.

I think my Harry is a bit OOC at the end. Note that a lot has happened to him in the missing... what was it, nineteen years? He's not a little kid anymore. He's an adult. He's grown. People change in that sort of time span.

Anyways, my rant ends here.

On with the story.

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><p><strong>Chapter 22<strong>

**Epilogue**

Darkness.

It enveloped him, ensnared his senses.

It was everywhere, and he was floating.

Floating, and it felt so good. It felt so right. It was the best feeling in the world. He was weightless. Gravity could not bind him. Nothing could bind him, and he could fly.

Freedom.

Freedom, yet darkness.

He was free. He could float. He could fly. He could soar. But, he didn't. Didn't, because he was surrounded. All around him, the darkness beat. It was all consuming. It was everywhere. It was everything.

It was suffocating.

Strange.

Albus didn't know how, but he felt like he was floating and suffocating sanctimoniously. It made no sense whatsoever, but there was no fighting the feeling. It was simply everywhere. He didn't know why, he didn't know where it came from, he just knew it was. It was, and it always had been.

His body arched at a sudden jolt passed through his bones.

His eyes snapped open and he looked around him. He was laying on the ground, on the floor. Cool metallic tile all around him, reflective walls, light bouncing off infinitely before him. He gave a soft groan as he rose to his feet.

The tiny twelve year old turned full circle.

He blinked.

There was another standing a few feet away. The back was turned, and he wore a tacky dark jumpsuit. Really, who wears those no a days? But, that wasn't the strange part. The strange part was... Albus blinked several times. It had to be an illusion, because the man standing before him could not possibly be sucking the light around him, killing it, leaving emptiness and nothingness behind in it's wake.

"Hello?" Albus finally called.

The other turned at his call.

Albus screamed.

Staring back at him was his own face, morphed by darkness. The eyes were blood red, like molten craters, vile and disgusting. It was like staring into the face of death itself, like staring into the face of evil. Dark lines, like bloody veins, etched out across the face of the doppelganger, giving it the appearance of some grotesque zombie version of Albus himself.

Albus turned to flee from whatever that thing was and promptly ran into someone... Himself.

He fell to the ground in a thud, glancing up at his own face. Blank eyes stared back at him. Blank white eyes. No iris, no pupil, no color at all. The other him stared down at him expressionlessly, examining him with a keen curiosity.

This one didn't have dark red veins running up and down it's skin.

This one looked... Frozen. The skin appeared to be chipping away, and looked like it had been molded on, like paper mache, a thousand little frosted pieces, glistening in the light. The cheeks were hollow, the hair was grayed.

The first had been a flame. This one was the ice.

They began to circle him.

Albus looked back and forth between the two hims. What was this?

They didn't speak.

They didn't utter a word.

The red-eyed one looked at him with utmost contempt. The white-eyed one remained stoic. Albus whimpered lightly. What was happening to him? Was he loosing his mind? What-

They lunged, together at once at him.

Albus shrieked, covered his head, closed his eyes, and shook.

That's when his eyes snapped open and he gave a gasp. When his _real _eyes snapped open and he looked around at reality. He sat up and glanced around at all the beds surrounding him, the moonlight filtering through all the windows, the white sheets he was draped in.

The Hospital Wing. He was in the Hogwarts Hospital Wing.

But...

How did he get here?

Albus frowned.

The last thing he remembered... James. James was possessed! His eyes had flashed blue and he'd hit him over the head! Albus panicked. He tossed the sheets of himself and tried to get off the bed. He needed to warn someone. He needed to tell someone. They were in danger, they were all in danger.

He gave a loud howl of pain as he shifted his leg, his head tossing back and tears suddenly springing forth from his eyes and falling down onto his cheeks. Looking down, he saw his leg was patched up in thick wraps.

What happened to his leg?

He glanced around, trying to figure out what was happening. Then, he spotted James. Sitting up, he stared at his brother. James was here. He looked pretty beaten up, but he was here. Albus didn't know what had happened to his brother, but it looked bad.

Looking around, he spotted Rose. Her skin was pale and had lost it's usual flush. She looked tired, drained, and weakened. He tried to rack his memory to figure out what had happened to her, then remembered that she'd been under the control of the blue-eyed monster. It must have done something to her, he realized.

He spotted Scorpius next. He looked like he'd seen better days. His body, too, looked slightly beaten. No were near was bad as James, but regardless, Scorpius still looked like he'd taken a heavy one.

The last person he saw made his breath hitch.

Professor McGonagall.

She looked worse than the others combined. Even in her sleep, the old woman appeared tortured, which was a testament to her suffering.

But, she was back.

Inexplicably, she was back.

Albus frowned, wondering just how much he missed while he was out.

But, he chose to focus on the positive. If everyone was here, that meant that it was all over, right? His face scrunched up. There were still many pieces missing from the puzzle. Why attack Rose and Scorpius, for one? Why attack _him_? What was the meaning of it all? Then, there was the chimera. Hagrid's 'little' Lee Lee. What was it guarding?

Albus had a feeling he was missing something. Missing something big, like he'd forgotten the answer to a really important test question. Realizing the analogy he just made, he groaned and decided he spent far too much time than was healthy with the spawn of Hermione Jean Granger.

Deciding it was best just to rest, he laid his head back and let his eyes close. He tossed and turned. For hours, he tossed and turned. He couldn't sleep, no matter how hard he tried, no matter how tired her was, no matter how hard slumber wanted to take him.

Because, every time he was even remotely close to finally drifting off, he was met with a dual pair of glowing red eyes and a vicious animalistic snarl that scared the carp out of him...

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><p>"Water." she croaked.<p>

Mopsus nodded. He turned, filling the cup with the crystal-clear liquid from the pitcher, and turned to the old woman. She was struggling as she attempted to sit up.

"Here, let me-" he began, putting the cup down next to her.

"No." she shook her head at him, making a face at him in the process, before she managed to sit up. She was struggling. She wasn't as strong as she had once been. Deflecting Killing Curses was not an easy feat. Sure, she only managed it because Slytherin's dagger was virtually indestructible and blocked most of the damage, but regardless, it had still left her frail and weakened.

"Here." Mopsus handed her the cup.

"Thank you." Olethea whispered as she drunk. Big deep gulps, she chugged. Sighing, she set the water down, and looked up at him.

It was strange, how those blind eyes could make him feel like she was seeing right through him. Then again, for all intents and purposes, she might as well be. He'd never be able to tell the difference either way.

She continued to stare at him intently, and it was making him feel uncomfortable.

It would make any man feel uncomfortable. He wouldn't be surprised if she could use the look on a demon from hell and make _it _feel guilt ridden as she was making him feel now.

"You stabbed the boy."

Her tone was cold, condemning, and clipping.

He flinched.

"I had no-" he began.

"You may lie to Potter, but not _me._" she shook her head at him. "You wanted to test him. You wanted to see if Dante was correct about the boy. You could have easily impaled Dante without the boy's blood staining the knife."

"And what good what that have done! It wasn't the knife that felled him, it was the _blood, _and we both know it." Mopsus countered.

"It would have give Potter the opportunity to strike. Dante was strong, but not invincible. Given chance, Potter would have been able to incapacitate him. You know this."

Mopsus said nothing, because she was right.

He could have done many things different, all with the same result. He could have done a dozen things different, without harming the boy.

But the boy was the whole point.

Stabbing him had been the center piece.

Sure, Mopsus aimed fir the leg, made sure the wound wasn't one that would cause critical damage. But, the point was the boy. The boy, and the boy alone. The boy, and his blood. And, now they had proof.

There was something different about Albus Potter.

His blood was venom.

There were very few things in this universe who's blood was like a poison, and none of them were particularly nice beings.

Mopsus sighed, and turned away from her piercing gaze. Even if she wasn't technically seeing him, it still made him uncomfortable. Actually, come to think of it, Olethea's calm emotionless stare down right caused shivers to run up and down his spine. So, instead, he chose to walk towards the window, gazing up at the moon and the stars hanging high above.

A crescent gleaned down at him.

He closed his eyes.

"We both know what it means..." he whispered.

"The boy is the vessel." he heard Olethea's voice.

"What if... What if we can't save him, what if-"

"He is a child. To attempt to kill him now would only propel him in a path to darkness." Olethea cut across coldly.

Mopsus turned back to face her.

"Can you see?"

She shook her head. He didn't need to be an empath to know how much that inability terrified her. After all, there were very few things in the world that the last Oracle could not see...

"The future is shrouded by a mist. Even my old eyes cannot penetrate it. There is... Something is coming. Something is coming, and it will make the worries Dante had for the boy seem like child's play." Olethea finally spoke.

Mopsus felt an increasing feeling of dread filling him as each word left her lips.

"What do you mean?"

Finally, she looked up. Stared at him through blank unseeing eyes.

"You heard Dante. He's insane, but he's never been wrong. You saw the look in his eyes. He saw too much. He saw too much, and it drove him over the edge. But, the words he spoke... I fear... I fear the slayer of gods has been awoken once more."

"Slayer of gods? There are no gods." Mopsus reminded Olethea, fearing for her sanity. Oracle or not, visions drove Dante insane. Olethea was no different.

She laughed. Actually laughed, but there was no humor in it.

"There are no more gods, yes... Because _he _killed them all. And, he has returned. The world will suffer for it."

The certainty in her voice wavered his resolve.

Olethea was rarely wrong. Rarely. Trepidation grew in him. Just what exactly did he get himself into, Mopsus wondered.

* * *

><p>Professor Verus wrote in his journal. The quill in his hand sweeped across the parchment in long swinging arcs. Words fell, before, at last, he stopped. He lifted his wand, casting a quick and simply drying spell. Then, he closed the journal, sat back on his desk, and sighed.<p>

He'd seen the signs.

They were happening, again.

A war was coming, again.

He had half a mind to jump start it now, as soon as physically possible. He hadn't been here when the last war against Voldemort had been waged, but news traveled fast, and he'd known exactly what had happened.

Britain had been slaughtered.

They'd have fared a much better chance if the war had started sooner father than later. Instead, Voldemort was giving a full year to amass his forces before finally striking. In the end, the Ministry fell, and it fell hard.

The first time, Voldemort fought for ten full years and failed to achieve that goal.

The second time, it took him all but one to bring the Ministry of Magic to its knees.

The same situation presented itself here.

There was a new force, rising in Europe. It reminded Verus strongly of Grindelwald. He grimaced. Those years had scarred him. There was no undoing them now. They had been brutal and bloodthirsty. Not only that, but Grindelwald had full well used the World War that had been waged at the time to mask his own war.

Voldemort may have shattered Britain, but Grindelwald nearly shattered the world.

The only place he could not take was Great Britain. They were the strongest in that struggle and, in the end, it was a son of Britain that brought Grindelwald to his knees. It was that very war that established Britain as the supreme magical power in all the world.

Voldemort brought that supreme power to it's knees.

And, it was happening again.

He'd seen the signs. The press was quick to put the blame on others. They tossed it upon the Granger woman. Verus shook his head. Idiots. Granger was perhaps the last thing standing between a full-blown massacre complete with concentration camps.

Verus had a feeling it was all tied together.

He silently wondered if the Ifrit had been dealt with yet. He also wondered if he should have said something once he figured out what exactly they were dealing with. Then again, it was really Potter's fault. Potter's mess.

The wards at Hogwarts usually prevented something like an Ifrit from crossing into it's boundaries.

Most spiritual beings could not penetrate the walls.

An angel could not walk these corridors, or, God forbid, a demon. Even gods, what was left of them, could not enter. There were few of the once widely worshiped deities left. Few, and most kept in hiding.

Of course, there were other deities, from other dimensions, but including them in the circle was were things got increasingly messy.

Regardless, there was a war coming. He saw the signs with Grindelwald, with Voldemort, and now history was repeating itself under this new banner. The banner of this supposed 'last son'.

Then again, the Parselmouths had been virtually wiped out. There weren't many left, and this man, he might well be the last of his species, so the claim might not be so far fetched.

Still, if there was anything Vantias Verus was certain of, it was this; there was more to this 'Marvolo Gaunt' than met the eye.

* * *

><p>Harry watched the other through a pane of glass.<p>

The night had been a long one. One of his more difficult ones in recent years. After all, it wasn't every day that he took on an Ifrit. Their species were rare, after all. Rare, and deadly. Fighting one wasn't really what drained him, however.

It was that, at one time, he had called the other friend.

Sure, it had been years since they'd last seen one another.

But, he'd never expected a reunion to be like this.

Harry silently watched Dante. The other was muttering to himself, insane phrases and sentences, things that made no sense, incoherent ramblings. He watched indifferently, coldly. The chains that bound the Ifrit were Goblin-made, and nothing could liberate him from them. He was bound, and trapped.

Even if he wasn't, the walls of the room were warded.

Dante was trapped. Completely and utterly trapped.

Harry turned the dagger in his hands over, glancing down at the blade. The emerald at the end glistened with raw power. He gripped the handle tightly between his finger tips. The Dagger of Salazar Slytherin. Gryffindor's sword could kill any beast, but this blade... This blade could kill any spirit. Anything beyond the norm.

He couldn't kill a dragon with it, but he could cut down something as rudimentary as a Dementor with ease. Hell, they'd even tried it on a fallen god. Cut through her like a hot knife through butter.

It would be so easy, he thought, as he twirled the knife in hand.

Years ago, he'd never have even considered it. Never have even thought it. But, that innocent little boy was gone. That innocent little boy that had faced of against Lord Voldemort himself was gone. He was no more. In his place stood a battle hardened man, who'd been forced, time and time again, to make the hard choices.

Sometimes, there was no right path. There was bad, then there was worse. Nothing more, nothing less. Harry turned the knife in hand. He could feel it's power. It's ancient power.

He silently wondered how many died to make this blade, silently wondered how much the crimson stain of blood had tainted it, how much it had spilled. Rivers of it, he assumed.

He'd killed an angel with it, once. A real, honest to God angel. Rouge angel gone bad, sure, but angel nonetheless. But, that was a long time ago. He still remembered her face, exotic and beautiful, framed by flowing flames containing her angelic-like face. She'd looked so innocent. She had been innocent, in a sense. But, she cracked, and he'd had no choice.

It didn't matter the species, beings cracked.

Bellatrix had been insane. She'd cracked, too. She hadn't started out evil. Harry had learned that only afterwords. She'd broken into a thousand little shards.

Dementors themselves were like that, too. They started out human. They'd all started out human. They were like a disease, festering and growing. Spreading endlessly through the world, a poison that could not be stopped. An infection, a darkness, a curse on the world.

Harry had learned much over the years.

He'd fought things without a conscious.

There had been times when he'd been forced to kill.

The first time, he remembered it. He'd always remember that moment. He vomited directly afterwords, emptied his stomach out on the floor next to the body. It hadn't even been human.

It didn't stop him, though.

That being had cracked too. People cracked all the time. Muggles, Witches, Wizards, Vampires, Veela, Werewolves, Angels, all kinds of beings.

Apparently, including Ifrits.

Harry glanced up.

He turned the knife in hand.

Years ago, he'd be appalled with the very idea he was no considering.

This wasn't vengeance, not really. The Dante he'd known was gone. He didn't now how it had happened, he just knew that it had. Dante was gone. He'd gone insane, and he was gone. This wasn't so much a contemplation at murder as the consideration of euthanasia.

Dante's mind was melted. Even if it hadn't been before, Mopsus impaling him had done the trick. Harry closed his eyes.

His son's blood was poison. There was no denying it now, his son's blood was poison. He didn't know how, he just knew that it was. Dante was proof. His son's blood had practically fried the Ifrit's brain, or whatever was even left of it.

His heart was thumping heavily against his chest. He could feel the blood pounding against his skull. For the first time in a very long time, Harry Potter felt lost. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what he was suppose to do. He didn't know what was even happening anymore.

Dante had cast a spell.

He made sure all those that had known him would forget him. Made sure that they'd never see him coming. At first, Harry had assumed that was what had led Dante to insanity, but he knew that wasn't the case. Dante had been showing signs long before casting such a powerful memory spell, that no doubt played havoc with his already deteriorating mental physic.

The spell had merely shattered what sanity he had left. Albus' blood had finished him off, destroying whatever remained of his coherence.

Harry made his choice as he strode into the room.

Dante didn't even notice him. He was speaking to the ceiling, muttering words in languages lost. Now doubt it was Enochian, or, for all Harry knew, some demonic language. Then again, demons really didn't have languages. Hard to have a language when you're being tortured into insanity.

He lifted the dagger.

This wasn't murder.

This was a mercy.

**- The End -**


	23. Sequel

Sequel is _finally _up. Yes, I know, I'm a lazy ass. Took me months. Anyways...

Next Gen, The Dementor's Curse.

A simple click on to my profile to find.

Adios.


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